The Hero of Wolves
by The Wolfess
Summary: Book 1 in The Doppelganger Trilogy: Link's adventure is over, but the former ranch boy isn't the same. Tempted by the wild nature of the ravenous wolf inside, Link is called upon to help revive a corrupt, rebellious post-war Hyrule and its Princess.
1. Prelude

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**The Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !_

Doppelganger (n.)- "A literary technique by which a character is duplicated (usually in the form of an alter ego, though sometimes as a ghostly counterpart) or divided into two distinct, usually opposite personalities."

!_  
_**Book One:**  
The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!  
_**Prelude**

_The __Sixty__-Seventh Testimony of Zelda, Crown Princess of Hyrule,  
Imprisoned in the West Tower of Hyrule Castle by Zant, King of the Twilight,  
Upon the Day of Her Freedom._

_I sit here at this small desk which has been such a comfort to me in a dazed after-shock—and free. So wonderfully and gloriously free. I wish to conclude this record of my imprisonment by summarizing it, and then I will never touch this journal again. I cannot bear the memories of the suffering my people have undergone and the dear friends I have lost that bombard my thoughts whenever I touch these crinkled pages. _

_My father was not exactly a fit role model of how to rule a kingdom. He allowed manipulative men to maneuver him into giving them positions of power, and then these men used this fine country and its people to provide them with wealth, pleasure, and status. They milked this country for all it was worth, and when the Invaders arrived on our soil we were unprepared in every way. My father was murdered, along with half the army, and so many of Hyrule's citizens that I cannot write the number. Zant is King of a world that exists alongside ours on another plane called the Twilight Kingdom full of creatures called the Twili. He became the new King of Hyrule and plunged the world into eternal Twilight. Hyrule was a kingdom of fear._

_Just when all hope seemed to be lost, HE came. At first all I knew was that he was a legendary beast with the oddest blue eyes and the mark of the Triune Goddesses—Din, Nayru, and Farore—on the back of his left front paw. A strange imp from the Twilight World called Midna, who was much desired by the King of the Twilight, informed me of this wolf's importance and left with him on a quest to restore my Kingdom. No matter the imp's true reasons—a desire to enact revenge on Zant, the false usurper King—they brought light back to my kingdom and defeated Zant. It was the wolf alone who defeated the true evil, however. _

_An evil man of ancient times called Ganondorf truly controlled both Zant and Hyrule. While fighting this ancient power, I discovered that the wolf was truly a Hylian man from Ordona Province named Link. He wore the same tunic as the Hero of Legends, and carried the mythic Master Sword with skill and pride. What struck me most about him was not his appearance, or the sheer power with which he moved—it was his eyes. They were the one thing about him that did not differ between the wolf and human forms. Even as a Hylian, in his eyes he was still a beast. On the battlefield he was ruthless and deadly. He attacked with precision and with intent to kill. I have never seen another man (or woman for that matter) fight like him. The way he moved was almost unnatural. _

_On the way back from the desert, where we parted ways with Midna—the true Queen of the Twilight Kingdom—I discovered another shocking fact about the Wolf Man who was Hyrule's Hero. He was surprisingly gentle and diplomatic. Link did have the rough, uncultured mannerisms of a commoner, but for his country up-bringing he was very respectful and polite. The type of man that people are drawn to and naturally follow. A man that can be trusted with great responsibilities. _

_I desire to know more of this strange dichotomy of a Hero. How can one man be so brutal and so gentle at the same time? And will he be of help in these upcoming critical days of reconstruction? I need as many allies as I can find. I will speak to my personal advisor about this matter. If Forrad thinks the idea a sound one, I will send for this Ordonian man and request his continued aid in a very different arena. Let us hope that he is as good with people as he is with the sword._


	2. Homecoming

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!  
_**Chapter One: Homecoming**

The scent of goats and the sound of children's laughter were the first sensations to reach the young warrior as he rode toward town. It was as if nothing had happened and he was just returning home from a regular ride through Faron Woods. When the squirrel dropped out of a high tree limb and sat on his shoulder, rubbing a small cold nose against the warrior's exposed neck, Link was reminded that it wasn't any normal day. In the evening's sunset glow, he could feel the sadness of the twilight hour weigh upon his heart more than it had before his journey.

His body felt tired, beaten, and worn, as if his soul had aged far past his body's years sometime between when the adventure began and now. Had he known what he was getting himself into, would Link still have fought as hard as he did or would he have turned his back on Hyrule and lived in peace as a spirit, like the rest of them? Of course he still would have saved Hyrule. It was what he was born to do, after all, and something inside of him had always yearned for it. That first raid upon Ordon, when the children were stolen and he was turned into the beast, was like flipping a switch inside of his soul, turning on something kept at bay for his entire life. Something he had been waiting for.

It was late, and Link could hardly stay upright on Epona's back. His mind was an indecipherable jumble of noise and images swirling in a twilight-hued mass inside his head. The shattering of the mirror; Ganondorf's last words and insane laughter; the Princess's bow; Midna's true form; King Bulbin's parting words; the Master Sword ripping through flesh…so much had happened in the last two days. The leather of the reigns felt heavy in the warrior's weary grasp and he last them fall to rest over the saddle horn. Epona drifted to a halt just shy of the entrance into Ordon, turning her head to see her rider. Link lifted his fingers to his cheek and he could feel the mud, sand, and dried blood caked on his face and in the ends of his hair.

The blood wasn't his own…it was the greenish-red dribble that spouted from Ganondorf when Link delivered the final blow to him, shoving the Master Sword through armor, flesh, and bone. Most of it came off when he dipped into the river before they warped to the Arbiter's Grounds. It seemed important at the time that he not be covered in blood for the occasion. Perhaps it would have been more fitting if he had left it there, after all hadn't everything been saved by sword? It was not as if his journey had been one devoid of blood, though most would say that the blood of a monster counted for nothing. Having experienced what it was like to be a creature considered monstrous, Link didn't know about that. What was it that Telma had said? "_This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild…like a feral beast. We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay."_ Yes, that it what they had called him: a beast.

The beast was inside the black, orange-marked crystal that now lay in a pouch on his belt. When Midna was gone he and the Princess looked at the shards on the rock to find the crystal there, pulsating with a certain darkness that didn't exist anymore. As long as Link didn't touch it with his bare skin he was fine and it was just a malformed crystal with translucent orange markings. He could feel it pulsing during sunset and the urges of the wolf burn in his gut.

Link closed his eyes against it all, both the beast inside his heart and the memories in his brain. _All I need to do is sleep,_ he thought. _I'll be fine then…just need to rest. They'll all want to know about what happened when they see me…_ The sunset faded to the bluish-black of night, stars winking in the sky, and the wolf's presence faded. Link nudged his heals into Epona's side, slumping in the saddle as the horse walked the rest of the way to Ordon and stopped in front of Link's house. Link squeezed his eyes and shook his head to wake himself up, then slid off Epona. He patted her neck and rubbed his hand along her flank, promising her a wash and a special treat, before turning toward the ladder of his house.

"Link! Hey!" Link turned around as Colin ran up the road from town, blond hair a little shaggier and an impressive sword and wooden shield strapped to his back. "I was standing on the shop's roof and saw you coming. Are you back from your adventure now?"

"Um…yeah. I think." Link winced as a sharp pain went through his shoulder and slid down the side of his house to sit on the grass. Colin reached for a canteen strapped to his belt and held it out to Link.

"There's milk inside. Drink some." He waited while Link took the canteen, cradling it between his hands as he drank. "What happened, Link? You look tired."

Link licked a dribble of milk from his lip and peered at Colin, taking in the firm stance and concerned gaze. "You've grown up a bit I see. I think we both have." Link held out the empty canteen. "Let's just say it has been a busy day." Colin arranged the canteen on his belt and nodded, a grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. Colin sat down next to Link and they watched the fading sunlight, listening to the sounds of the busy town just down the trail from where they stood. Feeling a bit stronger, Link stood up and grabbed onto a rung of the ladder. Epona had backed into her spot next to his house and was chomping on some grass.

Colin stood and shifted his feet, looking down at the ground. "I won't tell them you're here yet."

Link smiled. Shifting through a pouch in his belt, he pulled out a few rupees and held them out to the boy. "Thanks. Here, go buy some more milk."

Colin nodded and started toward town, but paused and turned around. "I'm glad you're back!" He hugged Link, and then ran down the path. The weary warrior smiled after him and climbed the familiar ladder to his house. It was dark and chilly inside, but the last slanting rays of the sun revealed a fresh log beneath the iron pot hanging in the hearth, ready to be lit for warmth or dinner. It seemed like so long ago since he had last stood here. A pitch fork hung on the wall, close to a line with clothes, long-dried, hanging from it. Near that was his spare saddle and the archway leading to his lightless basement. There were pictures and books lying around everywhere, the topics ranging from ranching and castle life, to war styles and cooking. Link knew a little bit about everything, or so he had thought before going on his journey.

Link crossed over to the hearth and picked up the spark stones atop it, moving the iron pot from the hook on which it hung and setting it on the floor with a dull thunk. It took a couple tries for the kindling around the log to catch the sparks, but once they did Link blew into them until the log itself caught and the small house filled with light. It seeped through his green tunic and warmed the metal chain mail, chasing away the chill in his bones like the shifting of a thick coat of fur. Crouching there on the wooden floor, alone in front of a warm fire, Link let his eyelids close and his tongue hang over his bottom teeth. To someone looking through the window, in the shifting firelight and shadows his silhouette would look much like a wolf.

Many cold nights without a roof over his head or materials to start a fire had forced Link to sleep in his wolf form more often than not, the few nights he had been able to sleep. The fur coat was warmer than a cuckoo-down quilt, and his heightened senses left him alert and ready for whatever might attack him as he slept, without having to worry about getting his sword and shield stolen. It would have looked really bad to have the master sword stolen, or the chosen hero stabbed in his sleep, or frozen to death. Curled up next to Epona's side, often with Midna resting in the saddle, the warrior had found peace in unconsciousness. Silently, he thanked Midna for leaving him the stone. Possessing and using evil magic for any purpose, even a good one, was dangerous, but the wolf had some attributes that Link felt were vital to staying alive and he wondered if its habits and instincts would ever fully leave his heart. He was the wolf as much as it was him; even if the crystal was destroyed or lost forever it would always be that way.

Link opened his eyes and looked over at the table, his gaze settling on a book lying open, propped against the spine of another book. The table was close, so he shifted and reached for the open book, taking it in his hand and cradling the cracked leather binding as he looked down at the page it was opened to. A drawing of a herd of goats graced the open pages; Link's eyes widened. The book wasn't a book at all; it was his journal that he left here when the unexpected events unfolded. He hadn't had time to really come back and retrieve it, nor would he have been able to use it on his journey.

Long, sleepy days at the ranch watching the goats were filled with little excitement, so Link developed a habit at a very young age of journaling while he waiting for sunset, often sketching more often than he wrote. Its pages were filled with drawings, the skill of each increasing noticeably from the last. Link leaned his back against a table and pulled his legs toward him, resting the book in his lap so that it was propped up. With one hand he flipped through the pages, and with the other he grabbed the writing stick that rested on the table top. It was a great invention, a hollow stick with a charcoal-like center with which to draw. It was a lot cleaner and more portable than quills and ink.

Opening to a blank page, Link chewed on the end of the writing stick and squinted at the page. His mind drifted, flipping through images of an imp, the many hours they spent together on the journey, and he pressed the writing stick to the parchment. The sound of the semi-sharp tip scraping over the textured page and the quiet crackling of the fire mixed in the warrior's head. Line by dark line the small, curved form of the irritating, yet kind imp he knew as Midna formed.

No one would know of her in his world or even be able to comprehend the existence of another world alongside their own. Perhaps a handful of people could understand or begin to understand, but none of them would know who she was, or all she sacrificed. Only himself and the Princess Zelda had that privilege. Link knew that Midna's real form was much, much different than the imp he now drew, but he thought of her this way. It was how they both had known her. He added the shading that was needed and placed the journal open on the floor underneath the table.

Yawning, the warrior reached his right hand into the pouch where the wolf crystal was hidden, threaded onto a rope collar-like strap by Midna toward the end of their journey. All he had to do when he was in wolf form was slip it off to return to being a human. Throwing it around his neck, Link barely felt the change, the nose and chin elongating to a muzzle, the fur grow, the legs shorten. As he curled on the floor before the fire, the wolf crystal pulsing around his neck, a dark cloud of sleep consumed him and he fell into dreams of an imp, a dark lord, and a princess.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

"LINK!"

The shrill, angry screech jolted the blue-eyed beast from his dark slumber. Link leapt up, hitting his head on the table, and yelped.

"Link get your horse-abusing _butt_ out here!" His eyes widened. Epona had gotten pretty beaten up in the horse battle with Ganondorf and his phantoms, and he was too injured and tired yesterday to take her to the spring. Link could hear Ilia's footsteps on his ladder. _I have to get out of here,_ he thought, sniffing the rug he had been lying on and perking his ears up. As the door opened, he darted into the adjacent room, jumping down the hole to his cellar. Wolves definitely landed better than humans from high jumps.

"I know you're in here! Show yourself, Link!" He backed into the shadows, and knelt down on the cold stone floor, tilting his head and shaking his fur slightly. He had just enough maneuver room that he could slip his paw between the rope and his neck, effectively snapping it off. It fell on the ground and Link shifted back to normal, the fur disappearing, legs elongating, and green tunic, chain mail, and weapons still attached.

"LINK!"

"I'm here! Cool down!" The wolf crystal was slipped into it proper pouch, and he climbed up the ladder. Ilia stomped over, her bare heals slamming against the wooden floor, and grabbed Link's tunic as he reached the surface.

"What did you do to Epona? Have you _seen_ the kind of damage she has? How dare you leave her like-" She had dragged him into the main room, and the morning sunlight now drifted over him. The green of his tunic was ripped and stained with blood, stains soaked into it that would never come out. His skin was no better than his tunic, and the mayor's daughter couldn't tell if it was mud or something else that made his dirty-blond hair appear almost brown. Not only was he dirty, his lower lip and left eye were swollen, a sticky yellow puss seeping from the corner of the eye, and there were more bruises visible on him than regular skin.

"Oh my Goddesses, what happened Link?" A gentle hand guided him to a nearby chair and Ilia circled around him, taking in his condition and pulling at his clothing. Link snatched her hand as she reached to pull off his cap.

"A fight. Leave it at that." The eyes that now glared at her were not the eyes that Ilia had grown up looking into. The grip on her wrist was tight, shooting pain up through her arm from a hand that was more brutal than the hands that had tended the goats. What had happened to him these past months? Who was this person that had replaced the ranch boy she had grown to love? Swallowing, Ilia nodded and Link let her arm go. His features softened, his eyes turning to the ground between his feet. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," she dismissed it with a wave, but she backed away a step. "Well, I'll take Epona to the stream and fix her up for you, get her bandaged. You should come too, get clean. I can bandage you too. The shaman taught me how to dress wounds and basic things like that. It seemed like a good thing to learn at the time." He followed her out the door and down the ladder, listening as she continued to talk. She was filling the silence with nonsense talk about her stay in Kakariko and the trip home, but he was grateful. The wolf's instincts were still a little strong in him yet. At least, he hoped that his rough actions were the wolf and not himself.

They lead Epona into the spring and worked together to wash her down and bind her wounds. As for the horse herself, she was calm and cooperative as always, nudging her nose against the top of Link's head every now and then. Her large chocolate eyes looked to him in a knowing way, and the warrior felt consoled. He remembered what she said to him when she first saw him in wolf form: _"Even though you change shape, I still understand you. Link…hurry up and return to your true self…"_ In the days to come, Link was able to form a deeper friendship with his horse than would have been possible without being a beast. There was a new understanding between them, and the warrior knew that he had no better friend in the world than Epona.

The horse understood him in a way that no Hylian did. Perhaps only Midna, having also gone on the journey with Epona and himself, might have understood him as well as the horse, but Midna had not been there before Link went on his journey when he was just an Ordon ranch hand. Epona fought alongside him, and carried him on her strong back many, many times. She provided warmth for him when he was sleeping as a wolf, using her body to shelter him from the wind, and in the final battle she carried both Link and the Princess on her back, weaving through repeated barrages of six phantom riders to chase after and keep up with Ganondorf on his demon horse. Where the dark king had only himself and a magical demon beast, Epona carried the weight of two on her back while dodging and keeping up the speed of Ganondorf's steed. That, Link thought, was one amazing horse.

"Well, she should heal." Ilia leaned down and washed the blood off of her hands. "The spring water will help a lot, as well as these strange fairies that popped up all of the sudden. They seem to have amazing healing properties." Already the little pinkish creatures were lighting on Epona's wounds and healing them. Link smiled, catching the glimmer of gold deep inside the spring that he knew to be the Great Fairy from the Cave of Ordeals.

The warrior kept this information to himself as Ilia turned to him with bandages in hand. "May I?" He nodded and took off his gear, laying it atop Epona's saddle. As Ilia moved around him, touching his wounds carefully with her rough, ranch-girl fingers and her familiar tenderness, Link closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She washed each wound, as well as his face and neck, and bound them with her bandages. Her scent, horses and lavender, and the sound of her breathing filled the warrior; they were all so familiar to him. However, the quickness of heartbeat and shortness of breath that this closeness to Ilia would have inspired in him at one time didn't come. Instead he thought of Midna and the feel of her sitting on his furry wolf back. A twinge of pain went through his heart and he opened his eyes, placing his hand over his chest.

Ilia was looking at him, hands on her hips and a curious look in her green eyes. "Link…" She held her breath for a moment, debating whether or not to ask the question that was burning on her tongue. "Are you okay? You don't seem…yourself."

Fairies began lighting on his wound, each of them healing one at a time with the gentle fairies' kisses. Link pressed his lips together and lowered his gaze to the water between them. "A lot has happened Ilia. I don't think…" He lifted his eyes again, searching his mind for the right way to answer her. "I'm not sure if I am the man who you knew anymore. I just…" He held out his palms, as if in defeat, "don't know."

"I see." Ilia's right fist clenched and she averted her eyes from Link's apologetic stare. "Well, everyone is dying to see you. You should probably get cleaned up and see them."

"Ilia-" But she had already walked out of the spring and turned the corner. Link sighed. "Well, at least she didn't blow up at me, huh Epona?" Epona snorted and tossed her head, and Link chuckled. Putting his gear back on, he led Epona back toward his house so that he could change into his old clothes and go to the main part of the village. There was a lot he had to do before the day's end.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

The sunset was red tonight. Goats grunted and chewed, Epona content grazing the grass alongside them, and Link sat on the grassy hill with his journal beside him, watching the sun set. There was such uproar from everyone when he wandered down the path to Ordon, comfortably back in his old ranch-hand clothes. Everyone was hugging him and giving him things and babbling at the same time about the tales they'd heard about him and were they true, things like that. Link went from house to house, spending time with each person and telling them stories. Every one of the townsfolk, he noticed, leaned toward him when he told the tales, their eyes wide and mouths open. It was rather amusing.

Link spent extra time at the Mayor's house and with Rusl, Uli, and Colin. Mayor Bo looked like his normal self, large and muscular with eyes that seemed to be as sharp as those of the hawk. He was a good mayor and had big dreams for his little village. Rusl was getting rested from his own journey and was being pampered on by Uli, who looked great. Now that the baby was born, she seemed tired but was back to being her regular self. With an older brother like Colin, that baby girl was one lucky kid.

Uli, Rusl, and Colin were his surrogate family and he had missed them. Uli agreed to mend his green tunic, saying that she could even get the blood stains out and have it looking like new. Colin showed him the new baby, who Link thought was adorable, and Rusl spent most of the visit looking at the young warrior very closely and asking questions. There was a long walk and a heart to heart talk coming; Link didn't have to ask Rusl to know what he was thinking. The only problem was that he wasn't sure if he had any real answers yet.

Link volunteered to give Fado a break, at the protest of most of the village, and had been here ever since. It was nice to be back with the goats. He had always been more comfortable around animals than anywhere else; little did he know he would become one. Beams from the setting sun shone in Link's eyes, and he raised a hand to block them as the colors of twilight spread over the land of light and his heart throbbed. He could feel himself struggle against the internal beast that raged and strained just beneath his skin, clawing at his consciousness, blinding him with a resounding howl that resonated in his soul. The goats looked at him and began to back away as Link's upper lip lifted and a growl struggled in his throat. Golden-orange light bathed the grassy knoll on which the warrior sat; there was no way to escape from it. The wolf crystal pulsed in its pouch, calling to him, and Link wasn't aware that his hand was drifting toward it.

"Hey Link! Buddy!" Link's eyes snapped open, his hand stopping its decent. Breathing hard, he stood and brushed the dirt off his pants. Fado ran toward him, waving a hand in the air.

"Hey Fado. What do you need?" Link wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I just figured you might want some help putting the goats in," Fado said. "It's getting late." Link nodded and called Epona over.

"Have you ever herded the goats in with a horse, Fado?" The big man's eyes widened and he shook his head.

"Well," Link held out the reins to him, "go ahead. Give her a try. She knows what she's doing so she'll do most the work. Just give her a go."

"Seriously? Thanks buddy!" Fado shook Link's hand and swung on top of Epona, precariously perched and obviously unsure of himself.

Epona turned her head toward link with an accusing look in her eyes. Link grinned and gave them both a thumb's up. "Have fun you two!" Epona whinnied and tossed her head, making Fado gasp. "Fado, I'm going to lock the gate and head on home. Can you put Epona away for me?"

"Sure thing Link! And thanks again!" Fado and Epona were already off, heading toward the first batch of goats, which promptly ran away from him in the wrong direction. Link chuckled as he grabbed his journal from the ground; those two would be there for a while. The ranch boy headed toward the gate, looking at the sky to see, with relief, that the sun was almost fully set. He locked the gate behind him and walked down the path toward town.

Today felt a lot better than yesterday. Thanks to Ilia and the fairies, both he and Epona had healed completely, though they both retained a feeling of weariness. The aftershock of his journey was still too near, he figured, and he fully expected a feeling of normality to return within days. A good life here in Ordon was awaiting him and Link figured that he would spend the rest of his days here, watching the goats and the children day in and day out as he always had. What he didn't understand was why he felt depressed whenever he thought of it.

One by one, his journal was being filled with drawings of the places he had been, the people he had seen, and the races he had interacted with. Not only Midna, but Telma, the sages, Ganondorf, the Yetis, and so many others. Out of sheer boredom, Link had spent much time that day drawing sketch after sketch. What else was there for him to do while watching a herd of goats? He was capable of so much more: he had saved the world.

As he approached the mayor's house Link could see Ilia sitting on the bridge he was to cross with her bare feet in the water. She looked up as he approached and stood, holding something in her arms. Link looked up at the sky again. The moon was up and the sky was dark, so he could trust that the wolf's instincts had passed. Ilia waved at him and he waved back.

"Hi," he said, not exactly looking in her eyes and crossing his arms over his chest, tapping one of his sandaled feet.

"Hey." Ilia held out the package she was holding. "Uli asked me to give this to you." Link nodded and took it, folding back the cloth around the outside to see his green tunic, looking cleaned and fixed, almost like new. "She said it was hard to fix and wondered what you did in it. It's of a strange fabric she had never seen before and almost seemed to sew itself together." Link nodded, his heart oddly relieved to have the precious ancient tunic back in his possession.

"Thanks, Ilia." He chuckled, stroking the green fabric and gazing at it. "It's funny," Link said, "but I feel naked without it on. Especially the green cap. I don't really understand why." He looked up at Ilia and smiled, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "About earlier…I'm sorry."

The mayor's daughter shook her head and smiled, meeting his eyes for the first time. "No, I'm sorry. I can tell that whatever happened was bad, and you're not ready to talk about it. I shouldn't have pressed you."

"It's okay. I'll tell you more…eventually. I promise."

Ilia nodded. "Well, you look tired. If the bags under your eyes get any bigger you'll be able to put pumpkin seeds in them. Go to bed!"

"Hehe, thanks Ilia," Link said. "Goodnight."

Ilia leapt toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Sweet dreams," she whispered. "I'm glad you're home." Letting go of him, she sprinted back toward her house and closed the door before he could respond. The warrior blinked after her and sighed, walking the rest of the way to his house for sleep. Tomorrow was another day.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

"LINK!" Link had not been lying down to sleep for thirty minutes when someone pounded on his door and flung it open. Earlier, Link had figured that he would try to sleep as a human tonight because of the close call he had that morning, and as Rusl's deep-throated yell resounded in his room the warrior was grateful that he had made that choice.

"What? What's going on?" The Ordon sword and Hylian shield were lying next to him, and Link threw them on his back as he climbed down the ladder. Rusl had a lantern in his hand and an urgent look about him.

"There is a royal messenger here for you with two Hylian solders. They're at the mayor's house waiting for you. We asked them what this was all about, but they wouldn't tell us."

Link nodded, slipping his feet into his sandals. "Well, let's go." He followed Rusl out the door.

As they walked, Rusl's eyes were narrowed as he looked at the young warrior. "What's this all about, Link? I know bits and pieces of what you did these past months, but I don't pretend to know the whole story. Hold on a moment," he placed a big hand on Link's shoulder, halting him. "Link, I have always been like a mentor to you. You are not yourself, and I'm worried about you. Uli, Ilia, and Colin are worried too. I have been in battles before; I know how killing can affect a man. It's not good to keep those feelings inside. When you're ready to talk about it, I will listen."

Link was looking at the ground. Rusl was right of course. Link just didn't feel ready, not yet. Great though Rusl had always been, there was much that his mentor would never understand. "Thanks Rusl." He hugged the older man, a silent understand between them, and ran the rest of the way to the mayor's house.

Inside there was a strong fire burning, heating some soup. Ilia and her father sat down in the main room while the two guards and the messenger stood near the door, looking out of place and awkward. Link brushed a lock of hair out of his face, his mouth a little dry, and moved to the side so that Rusl could stand nearby. The room, small to begin with, was starting to seem very cramped.

"I'm Link and I've been told that you gentlemen were asking for me. What can I do for you?" The messenger, distinguished from the guards by his lack of weaponry alone, held out a scroll. The young warrior took it, inspecting it as the messenger spoke.

"An audience with her Highness the Princess Zelda has been requested of a sir Link of Ordona Provence." The scroll in Link's hand was high quality, he could tell that immediately, and sealed with rich blue wax imprinted with the royal insignia. "You are requested to come as soon as possible, but at your leisure. Specific details from her Highness are within the text of the scroll."

"Thank you," Link shook each of their hands.

Mayor Bo, taking the opportunity, sprang to his feet and shook the guards' hands enthusiastically. "Gentlemen, thank you! You are welcome to stay the night in my humble home and prepare for you journey! We are most grateful to the crown and to the work of you fine men!"

The nearest soldier took his hand away from Mayor Bo, his eyes wide, and took a step backward as the messenger cleared his throat. "Thank you, Mayor, for your hospitality, but we have reservations at the Kakariko inn and should be leaving promptly."

"Ahem, yes, of course," Mayor Bo's shoulders slumped and he stepped back a few paces. "Well, have a safe ride gentleman."

The three soldiers bowed and left the house in a rather hurried fashion. With them gone, the attention of the room turned to Link and everyone started asking him questions.

"A summons from the princess? Why? When did you meet her?"

"Open it, Link, m'boy! What does it say?"

"Tales of your adventures have reached even the royalty of Hyrule then…interesting."

Link put the scroll on his belt and held up his hands. "STOP!" The room fell silent. Link looked each of them in the eye, one by one, and just breathed. "I understand you all have questions, however I need you to stop, and not to tell anyone what happened."

"But, Link-"

"Thank you all for your help. I'll going back to my house now." He turned and opened the door, pausing to face Rusl as the older man started to follow him. "I'll walk by myself, Rusl. Tell Uli I said thanks for the tunic." Once he closed the door the sound of excited voices immediately emitted from inside. Link shook his head and ambled toward his house, unhooking the sealed scroll from his belt and looking at the royal crest on it. The summons itself didn't surprise him, however he hadn't expected to hear from Princess Zelda for weeks yet. He assumed she would wait for her kingdom to begin repairing itself before having time to speak with him.

Upon arriving to his house, Link took a key out of one of his pouches and lit his lantern, climbing down the ladder to his basement. In a large chest down here he had packed away all of his equipment from his adventure as well as the garb associated with the tunic of the ancient hero. Such clothing wasn't appropriate for life in the village of Ordon and he only felt that the things were safe there. Without opening the scroll, he placed it inside and relocked the chest. Rest was foremost on his mind, and the summons would wait for the morning. After all, she _had_ said 'at your leisure'.


	3. PostWar Hyrule

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!  
_**Chapter Two: Post-War Hyrule**

A bird chirped its familiar song outside of Link's window as the first soft rays of dawn drifted over his face. Deep in slumber, the warrior groaned and turned his back to the light, letting dreams continue to consume his mind. Behind sleeping eyelids there was no escape from the questions Link avoided asking himself. Images flashed in his mind, painting his nightmares with faces, pools of monster blood, and death cries. Link saw himself in a room surrounded by all manner of evil creatures, fighting to the death and losing as each monster he killed rose up again to consume him. Through the raging calls of the creatures, a dark figure made its way toward the weak hero, unsheathing a long red blade and laughing.

Link snapped up, cursing as his head slammed against the low wooden ceiling. His eyes were wide, breathing hard, and his skin was covered in goose bumps and cold sweat. Oh, how he hoped that these nightmares weren't going to become a regular occurrence. The one morning he was able to wake up peacefully and there are visions of his own death dancing through his head. Leaning his back against the wall, Link looked down at his left hand and blinked. Why was he holding his sword? Deep cuts in the ceiling above where he had been sleeping answered that question. Link cleared his throat and sheathed the blade, swinging it and the shield onto his back and climbing down the ladder.

There was a loaf of bread from Sera sitting on the table next to his journal. He broke off a piece and ate it with one hand, using the other to scoop water out of a bowl on the floor and splash it over his face, neck, and hair, which he then combed with his fingers. This, finally, felt normal: a small breakfast of bread and milk while washing with cold water to wake himself up. This was how he used to start every morning. Afterward, he would go outside and take Epona to the spring for a wash down, as well as the fact that the best berry bushes were nearby and he could sneak her a treat before the day began.

This morning would not go that way, however. Link picked up his lantern and climbed down the ladder to the dark basement. He set the lantern on a crate in the middle of the room and unlocked the chest. Most of the things in here would need to be packed onto Epona for the ride to Hyrule Castle Town; there was no telling how long he would be gone or what he might encounter along the way. It was good to be prepared for everything at all times. He grabbed a few goat-hide roles off of the shelves and packed the items into them, filling one with weapons, one with bottles, record books, and his other tunic and suit of armor. The third would be filled with provisions like food, money, and arrows. Jovani's house was a stop he planned to make while he was in Hyrule Castle Town; there were some things that Ordon would be better to have. Fado definitely needed a better way to herd the goats, that was for sure.

Link rolled up the packs and tied them shut, tossing them up to the main floor. All that remained was his tunic and the scroll. Slipping the chain mail over the tan pants and white undershirt had been difficult the first few times because he got things caught in it, but he came to be good with it and grateful for it. A sigh escaped Link as he slipped on the green tunic and cap, securing his feet in the leather boots. Now he felt ready; now he felt normal. As the warrior secured the wrist guards, bracers, belts, and other accessories he contemplated the ancient tunic and wondered why he couldn't seem to feel comfortable without it on. Having lived as a goat shepherd and wore the same clothes every day of his twenty years of life, one would think that he would be comfortable in the Ordon-style clothing, but his body wanted to wear the green tunic and would take no alternative.

This was one of many changes in the warrior since he awakened as the hero. He often wondered, during his journey, weather he was turning into someone else or if the boy he had been before was someone else and he was merely turning into who he really was. The answer still eluded him. Equipped and mostly packed, Link picked up the scroll, put his Ordon clothes in the chest, and hooked the lantern to his belt as he climbed up the ladder. He blew out the lantern and slipped it into the second roll, and then turned his attention to the scroll.

There was no putting it off any longer, and a part of him was as curious as everyone else in the mayor's house as to why the Princess of Hyrule was calling on him. To send him a handwritten scroll along with the message was unusual because that is a privilege usually reserved for the higher nobility of Hyrule. Link turned the scroll over in his hand and sat down on a nearby chair, breaking the wax seal with the edge of a small dagger on his belt.

"_To Link of Ordona Province,_

_From her Majesty Princess Zelda of Hyrule,_

_In the third week of the summer quarter,_

_I wish to thank you in both writing and personally for the services you gave to Hyrule. There are many matters I wish to discuss with you and would very much like the pleasure of your company at my court. The hardships of your journey likely weigh heavy on you and undoubtedly you desire rest, therefore you may come whenever you feel it is most convenient. Present this scroll to the guards when you come and you will be escorted directly to my throne. I look forward to our meeting. _

_Cordially,_

_Zelda Nohansen Harkine, the Princess of Hyrule"_

Link reread the scroll several times before slipping it inside one of the rolls and lifting them onto his back. There was no use in delaying, and the prospect of speaking about the events that recently transpired was more than appealing to him. Epona stood nearby the house and followed him with her eyes as he loaded the packs. "Zelda has summoned me, Epona," he explained. "We'll leave right away. I'm going to tell Mayor Bo and then we'll be off." The horse blew air out through her lips and nudged Link's shoulder, then headed toward the spring as he walked down to the village.

The mayor was standing outside his house waiting as Link approached. His big arms were crossed over his chest and his gaze, sharp as ever, pierced him. "So, you are leaving right away," the mayor said in his gruff voice.

Link nodded. "Yes. I don't know when I'll be back. It could be soon, could be a long time."

Mayor Bo hung his head and tapped his foot. "Everyone will miss you. You've just come home."

"I know," Link said. "Will you tell them I said goodbye?"

Mayor Bo nodded and the two men shook hands. "Have a safe journey, m'boy."

"Thanks Bo." That done the warrior walked back toward his house, where Epona stood waiting for him. He put his foot in the stirrup and swung himself onto her tall, broad back.

"Hey, wait!" Link turned in the saddle. Ilia ran up the path waving a hand in the air. She stopped at Epona's side and touched his leg. "You're leaving so soon?"

Link nodded. "I have to."

The mayor's daughter opened her mouth to say some protest that would make him stay, even for just a few more days, but the look in his blue eyes gave her pause. They seemed darker and older than they used to before the Ordon raid. If leaving is what it took to restore him to the boy she used to know, then who was she to stop him? It definitely wasn't going to happen if he stayed in Ordon, she knew that. With a sigh, she took her hand off his leg. "Have a safe trip, Link. I hope you come home soon."

Link reached over and hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her eyes to his. For a moment he merely held her gaze, observing the evidence of tears she was trying to hold back. "You will always be my friend, Ilia. Don't worry about me. I'll be safe. Just take care of things around here for me," he chuckled a bit. "You know the kids are too much for their parents to handle. You're the only one they'll listen to now."

Ilia smiled and laughed a bit. She backed away and waved as Link spurred Epona on and galloped toward Faron Woods, then on to Hyrule field. For the longest time, she merely stood there watching the dust from Epona's hooves settle.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

By the time Epona clopped into Kakariko it was five marks past noon and the shadows were lengthening from the buildings. Boards were still over many windows and doors like bandages over festering wounds that refused to heal properly. The absence of Kakariko Hylians that Link never met weighed heavier on this town than it had in wartime, for it was in the rebuilding and healing of post-war peace that the reality of their permanent outplacement was truly felt. Kakariko was expected to go back to the way it was before, though that will never happen. The people of the town were permanently changed and the mourning of their hearts hung on the very air of this town like swamp humidity.

Link clicked his tongue and stopped Epona in front of the Inn, leaping off her right side and patting her flank. She wandered toward the cool spring water and Link stomped up the wooden steps and inside. Sunlight filtered in through dusty windows and didn't really illuminate anything, while dim candles adorned various spaces and an unnecessary fire burned in the hearth. Scattered around the main room where Kakariko's regular patrons: Gorons, wanderers, traders, mercenaries, and Hyrulian Soldiers. They were a shady, rag-tag bunch, most of whom never stayed for more than a night or two. It was the soldiers that caught Link's attention as he made his way toward the bar to stock up on potions and food. They sat around in a group with empty mugs of mead, laughing and singing off-key to childhood fight songs. They had beer-bellies and pristine armor, lacking a single battle scratch or blood stain, and the clothing that peaked out from their armor was yellow with filth.

Behind the bar was an elderly man that Link didn't know. He looked gaunt and experienced, with graying facial hair and a balding head. In his hand he held a rag and was cleaning dirty mugs. As Link approached, the old man put down his rag and cleared his throat, peering through half-moon frames from under bushy eyebrows. "Can I do something for you, son?"

"Yes, thank you. I need a red potion, a bottle of milk, a loaf of bread, two and a half pounds of carrots, and four pounds of dried meat." Link placed a couple empty bottles on the counter and fished out his pouch, putting down the amount of rupees he knew it would cost.

The old man counted the rupees and stuffed them in his apron pocket. "Right." As he turned to gather the said items Link caught a whiff of smoke, rancid aging flesh, and drying beer. He wrinkled his nose and snorted, shaking his head a bit. The old man frowned, watching the young warrior from the corner of his eyes.

The first bottle of milk was thumped onto the bar next to Link's arm, an old gnarled hand gripping the neck of it. The old man licked dry lips and let go. "Name's Borley," he said, and thumped down the bottle of red potion next to the first bottle. "I used to live in castle town, east side," he spoke as he gathered and weighed the remaining items and tossed them onto the bar. "I moved here a few weeks ago because this here inn was in need of a bar tender and I was sick of the city. A bunch of shallow people and crooked store owners, and the soldiers…" he threw a glare at the rambunctious huddle and snorted, weighing out the last of the meat and tying the bag.

"I know what you mean," Link said, grabbing his purchases and stepping away from the bar. "I was nice to meet you Borley."

"Wait a second, young man," The bar tender gripped Link's wrist and peered into his eyes. "I know who you are, boy. What you did for us…thank you. I seen you running around Castle Town all the time, and I seen you enter the castle and not come out, and then the war was over all of a sudden. I know it was you. Everybody knows. Just want to give ya my gratitude."

Link placed his hand over the gnarled one on his arm and smiled. The old man nodded and let go, picking his up rag and returning to his dirty mugs with a wet glimmer in his eye. With a last glance at the soldiers, three of whom were the ones that came to Ordon, he left the Inn. Epona walked over to him and pushed her nose at the carrot bag, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof. Link laughed.

"So, you want one of these huh?" He got a carrot out of one of the bags, holding it up to her nose. She whinnied and nibbled on it a little bit at the time, her eyes half closed, as if savoring every little bit of carrot that graced her tongue. Holding the carrot with one hand, Link loaded the rest of the food into her packs with the other and secured them as best he could.

The young warrior gripped the saddle horn and swung himself up, shifting in the worn, chaffed leather to find the right spot. Epona was a draft horse, so when he sat atop her he was almost eye-level with the edge of the town's roofs and his legs were splayed out. She was a horse bred for two things: hard labor and battle. Draft horses were the only breed used in combat because they alone had the strength to carry the knight and all his armor and weapons, as well as its own armor. Being the only horse in town, Epona had always been well-kept, hard worked, and much loved.

Link nudged her sides and guided her toward the northern gate, planning to enter Castle Town from the east bridge. They clopped through the main street of Kakariko at a walk, allowing Link the time to look around and wonder who all the new faces were. It was as if now that the war was over and people could travel outside of their towns safely, hundreds of Hylians were working their way out of their hiding spots. The Gorons, more social than they like to admit, loved it, especially the wrinkled and painted elders standing outside of the Kakariko Malo Mart and doing some strange dance. Remembering Castle Town's Malo Mart and the odd dances they do there, Link shivered and sped Epona up, passing by the old gate and out to Hyrule Field. _I guess that's what happens when a six year old owns a chain of convenience stores,_ Link thought and chuckled.

The gallop through Hyrule field was uneventful since the war ended. The Bulbins that used to infest the field in years past had retreated to the desert since their King acknowledged Link's strength. In respect for the strongest warrior, they retreated from Hylian-inhabited areas to remote places where they could attack other things in peace.

The orange evening sunlight forced the warrior to squint, the blue of his pupils dilating and shining like the gleam from his weapons in the sunlight. Epona's hooves galloped over the wood of the drawbridge and then stone, slowing to a stop right at the gate. Link's breath quickened, his tongue salivating, and his attention drifted to the wolf stone…and then Epona reared and neighed, tossing him off the back.

"Oof! Epona!" Link stood on his knees and hands, crawling around to her front and glaring into her eyes. "Yeah, I can see you laughing. Really funny." She tossed her head and danced on her hooves. The warrior couldn't help but chuckle, and stood up, brushing off the dust. He patted her neck and sifted through the pouches on her back, pulling out the scroll and a few other items he would need and throwing them into a burlap sack.

The torches were being lit as Link walked through the gate with the sack slung over his right shoulder. A soldier was leaning against the wall with his helmet crooked, emitting a sonorous snore as he caught up on his sleep during guard hours. Link narrowed his eyes at the man and pushed his foot out from beneath him. The lax guard fell down, sputtered and cursed a bit, and then fell back to sleep. Rolling his eyes, Link turned left into a darker alley, away from the medicinal center and the lazy soldier, with long, purposeful strides that clomped over the cobblestone streets. His fists were balled at his sides, eyes shifting from shadow to shadow. Night owls, drunkards, and thieves lingered in the dark spots of the nighttime city, smoking in huddled, grimy groups and peering out at the green warrior from beneath their cloak hoods. Even in times of "peace" one could not walk the streets and be safe. Indeed, Link wondered if security was a reality in any corner of Hyrule, even with the enemy defeated. Such things as peace and security were a luxury afforded only by the rich.

Taking another left turn, Link descended a narrow stairway to the inviting glow of Telma's Bar. He closed his eyes in the waft of warm air that greeted him, breathing deep the scent of food, burning wood, and pipe smoke. The muscles in his shoulders relaxed and the smile on his face reached his eyes for once. He glanced over to the table where the group that he met with during his journey used to pour over their maps and speculate, not surprised that they weren't there. Ashei, Auru, Shad, and Rusl had been key players in his journey and had saved his butt big time more than once.

As Link closed the door behind him and walked into the main part of the tavern, everyone fell silent. They looked at him from over their food, mugs, and friends with mixed expressions. Some seemed grateful, some awed, and some malicious as they looked at the green warrior. They knew what he had done for Hyrule. Most of the people didn't know exactly what had happened, but most suspected that Link was the reason they were free. In every corner of Hyrule tales were being told about his deeds. Every town and race had their own theories on who –and what– he was.

"Link! How are you doin' sugar?"

The booming voice of Telma, the bar's owner, broke through the silence, and Link grinned as he walked over to the bar and sat down. "I'm good. Great to see you."

Telma was a tall, robust woman with dark olive skin and hair weaved into braids and tied in a golden hoop on the back of her head. The heartiness and vigor with which she lived was overwhelming to the meek and young, but Link had always welcomed it. Hers was an open room, a free meal, and a friendly face whenever the warrior needed a break to feel human again. Now she leaned over the counter and caught Link in a crushing hug, then reached under the bar and plopped a bottle of milk in front of him.

"On the house, honey," she said, dropping the bar rag in her hand into the sink and leaning her hip against the counter. Link nodded and popped off the cork. "Here I thought you'd be home with that Ilia. What brings a stud like you back here?"

"Just business." He took a swig and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Telma rolled her eyes, the gold hoops in her ears jingling.

"Yeah…and any business involving you is hush-hush, I know." They both laughed, despite the fact that it was true. Midna had insisted on silence, and once Link had matured he understood why and maintained that measure of care. Announcing to an entire bar, all of whom were listening to his conversation, that he received a personal summons from the acting queen and was here to see her…well, that wouldn't go over so well.

Telma dangled a key in front of Link's eyes. "Your room is ready if ya need it honey."

"Thanks." Link took the key and palmed it. "I'll head there now. See you in the morning, Telma."

"G`night sugar."

Link picked up his sack and the bottle of milk and made his way toward the room in the back of the bar that Telma saved for him. As soon as the door was closed, the noise level in the bar rose considerably. He paid them no heed and locked the door behind him, turning to face the room he had slept in more than once with Midna. It was small and sparsely furnished, containing a bed, a chest, and a desk with a lamp. It worked for his purposes though, and it was the only spare Telma had. She made it quite clear that it was a bar she ran not an inn, and if people wanted one of those they could travel to Kakariko.

Link put his things inside the chest and leaned his sword and shield against the wall. Blowing the lamp out, he sat on the edge of the bed and stared into the darkness of the walls around him. Tomorrow he would see Princess Zelda and most likely discuss the truth of his entire adventure. Here at the bar in his locked room there was no danger of random people walking in on him without knocking, as his friends in Ordon felt at liberty to do. They had always been that way because that is just the kind of town it is. No has anything to hide, as if they would be able to have secrets in such a small town. Of course, that was before the journey. It was strange to him how annoyed he felt when they barged in on him. It was irritating how many times during the day that his rough fingers stroked the pouch that held the wolf crystal. He wanted to take it out and stare at it even if he didn't turn, but it was too dangerous and there were always people around.

Here in the concealment of the locked bar room there was no one to barge in, no one to hide from. If some thief was stupid enough to pick the lock, Link didn't have to hold himself back from attacking the man. Link tied the hemp collar around his neck and groaned, his eyes fluttering shut as his bones changed, his senses sharpened, and his fur grew. The transformation consumed him, and in this protected space he gave in to it all. There was no one with him. No one to protect, no one to avoid, no one to talk to him and remind him of his Hylian nature. Blue eyes remained unchanged, and yet sparkled with a rapturous joy. The chain clinked around his forepaw. His ears turned to catch the many sounds available to him, the blue earrings on each jingling and sparkling from the light under the door. As a wolf he could see in the dark with no problem, and searched around the corners of his room with ease for bits of dried meat he had hidden for himself on previous stays. Panting, tongue rolling out over the side of his open maw, the blue-eyed beast roamed his room, muscles shifting and flexing underneath his fur as he jumped from surface to surface.

The wolf came to rest on his bed, his eyes fixed on the closed door. He laid his chin on his forepaws and listened to the bar patrons talk within the Hylian world beyond his wooden door.

"-bout that guy. Everybody's talking about him. Is any of it true?"

"I dunno. I heard he unfroze the Zoras and saved the life of their new King."

"I heard he changed the Goron leader from a monster back to normal."

"I heard he raced the Yetis and had soup with them."

"I heard he's a demon and he's the reason we were at war in the first place."

"I think he good."

"No, he's evil"

"He saved us."

"We got no reason to trust him."

"He's just a ranch hand from Ordon, right?"

The talk continued well into the night. Listening to it, Link's eyes drooped. He curled his furry body into a ball, laid his tail over his nose, and fell asleep.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

As the beast of foretold legends lay to rest, an elaborate chariot of deep violet drawn by a team of four horses rolled over the dirty cobblestone streets toward the wooden castle gates. The driver, a stocky man with a solder's uniform, bounced down from his seat and pounded his fist against the door three times. A few moments later the door opened with the deep groan of aging wood and iron. A single guard's face could be seen through the crack.

"State your identity and purpose."

"Graetin, driving a royal carriage bearing her majesty the Princess Zelda on a return trip from neighboring villages."

The soldier nodded and moved away from the door. Some shouting was heard and the march of armored feet to the door. Four soldiers grasped the iron handles and threw their weight backward, dragging the doors open all the way so that the carriage could enter the inner courtyards. The driver nodded and wobbled back to the carriage, grunting and spitting as he pulled himself into the seat and snapped the whip, guiding the carriage onward.

The inside of the carriage was lined with black velvet and satin with the royal crest embroidered in gold on every surface. Hyrule's princess, newly restored to her rightful place, leaned her chin on her fist and looked out the window. Her mind felt tired, and her heart ached, leaving a lump in her throat that was more than tears, more than guilt. The golden tiara on her forehead felt heavy tonight. This diplomatic mission to all the tribes and lands of Hyrule had been long and taxing. There were so many questions…and she had no answer for them. What could she say to them? The prophecies of old came to fruition and she had not been ready. The world was saved by an Ordon ranch boy of no stature or rank. Every citizen of Hyrule had been turned into non-living spirits in a land covered with an invisible plague by a madman and another man with no physical body who held the power of the gods.

'What happened' indeed. There was no answer for that yet. No answer that her people would understand at least.

The carriage rolled to a stop. A man from the castle opened the door and held out his hand to her. "Welcome home your highness."

Zelda inclined her head and took his hand, lifting the corner of her dress as she stepped out of the carriage. Forrad stood in the open door waiting for her, appointment book in hand. He had been her royal advisor since she ascended to the throne as a girl, and his gray hair could not hide the sharpness of his gaze. She unclasped the cloak around her shoulders when she walked inside, handing it to the servant who waited nearby, and walked toward the staircase that would take her to her room. Forrad tagged along and jabbered off the schedule to her.

"I'm glad you're home, highness. There is much that needs to be done in the wake of your return to power. The castle needs major repairs, including the staircase to the throne room, which has temporarily been repaired with planks of wood. The Zoras need help getting a large rock out of their throne room, the Goron Mines need major repairs, and both the hidden Sheikah village and Kakariko village are in a bad way. There also needs to be an assessment of the number of deaths in Hyrule since the beginning of the siege, as the amount is significant. The head of command of your army was killed during the war and needs a replacement. Top of the list, however, is an official statement to all the lands, peoples, and races of Hyrule about what happened. The people are demanding it. No one knows anything and they will feel betrayed if you continue to say nothing."

"I understand, Forrad, but the people are not ready for it and neither am I." Zelda turned a corner on the stone stairway and down a hallway on the right that led to a large cedar door with silver markings –her bedroom. She stopped in front of it and turned to her advisor, noting the disapproval on his face. "I know you do not approve, but you will have to trust my judgment."

"Forgive me, Zelda," Forrad bowed at the waist, the appointment book closed and held to his chest. "But I must disagree. You may not want to think of it or address it, but your people are not ignorant. It is a requirement."

Zelda narrowed her blue eyes, placing a gloved hand on her doorknob. "You step out of your right, sir. I know facts about what happened that not even you can comprehend just yet. Before any statement is made I require an audience with one man, and I have sent for him. I have confidence he will not delay in his answer. The matter will be resolved then and not a moment before." She turned to her door and opened it, then paused and turned back to her advisor. "Before you ask, because I know you want to, his name is Link of Ordona Province. He will come wearing green. Tell no one, and thank you for your concern."

The aging man bowed again and smiled as he looked at Zelda. "Informally, your highness, I miss the days when you were young and _I _advised _you_. Your wisdom continues to amaze this old man."

Zelda laughed a bit, a smile gracing her lips that hadn't been seen for a long time. She touched his balding head with her fingertips. "You flatter me, my friend, and hold me too high. It is only by the grace of the goddesses that I am anything more than my predecessors. Now, goodnight. Sleep well, for tomorrow will be as busy as today."

The door closed behind her, and Zelda turned to the lit expanse of her bedroom. A servant had already lit a fire in the hearth and rolled down her quilts, leaving a nightgown on the pillow for her. Safe behind the door, the princess leaned against it and sighed, resting her head on the wood. The gold plates on her shoulders felt heavy in these troubled times, as if the weight of her duty were carried on them. Gold jewelry and expensive fabric set her apart in any crowd, signifying her status as princess and acting queen. Her father dead, the land and the people rested on her shoulders. How good and wise she must have looked when the first thing that happened upon her ascension to the throne was that the land entered into war and lost. Sure, the circumstances were such that no one could have been prepared for them, but a hurt, grieving people were not a rational people.

The gold and tiara came off first, and piece by piece the princess undressed and slipped into her gown. A servant would enter as she slept and put out the fire, secure her clothing, and lock down the castle for the night. The princess climbed into her bed and drew the satin sheets and embroidered quilts around her. Grief and worry gave way to exhaustion and the princess fell asleep before her head hit the pillow, the unified cry of a demanding people in her mind and the hope for Link's quick answer in her heart. He alone could understand the hardship of telling the ones she loved, her people, the truth about everything that happened. Perhaps he could help her decide what they were ready for and what would be best kept hidden.

**Author's Note**: I want to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter and for the kind compliments. I also want to address a question that was asked about updating. I'll update this story as often as I can, shooting for every two weeks. It may be longer than that because of school A random interesting fact about the actual game that I wanted to share: if you go into Link's house and look on the table you actually can see a book open on the table to a drawing of goats: Link is an artist!

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!


	4. Audience with the Queen

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!  
_**Chapter Three: Audience with the Queen**

As morning sunlight struck the houses of Castle Town, its varied inhabitants awoke from their slumber and began shuffling about their mornings. Merchants opened shop for the day, the town musicians set up their instruments, and townsfolk donned their frilly, expensive clothing. Gossipers stood in huddled circles to exchange the gossip they would spread for the day, houses opened their shutters, and servants, who had been awake long before dawn, went about their work.

Into the morning chill and wakeful noises Link walked, his wallet jingling with rupees given to him by Jovani's cat, Gengle. The supply wouldn't last forever, he was aware of that, but the older man and his cat were eager to rid themselves of the riches for which Jovani sold his soul, a soul he owed Link a great debt for recovering. The only stop the hero was making before going to the castle was an out of the way stall in West Castle Town. It was constructed of rickety wood and shook a bit if it was leaned on or bumped. The hay on the ground and iron horse shoe decorations gave away its wares without advertising it as much as the other stalls. The man who sat there was an older man named Nokert. He was slightly hunchbacked, with a long white beard, and sat on a wooden stool so he could wave his cane at the help. Horis, the old man's grandson, was a twelve-year old boy with mousy brown hair and freckles who did everything Nokert said for five rupees an hour.

"Grandpa! A customer!" Horis bounded over to the fence and leaned over it as Link approached.

"Eh? What did ya say, lad?" Nokert adjusted his glasses and peered at Link.

"Hello, good Sir," Link said, bowing his head in respect to the old man. "I hear that you sell horses at this stall and I've come to purchase your best work horse."

"Work horse, ya say? Might I ask what you'll be usin' her for?"

Link patted the boy on the head as he entered the gate and stood before Nokert, putting his hands on his waist. "Packing wood, hay, herding goats, that sort of thing. He'll have good care and a lot of love, I can guarantee you that."

Nokert chuckled and nodded his head, then waved his cane at Horis. "Boy! Go get the white Shire horse."

"Yes'ir!" Horis ran off, and Nokert continued.

"The white Shire's a sturdy work horse, and he'll do ya well. He's a young stallion yet and has a lot of energy on him, so he'll need patience to get him focused every now and again, but you look capable of it lad."

Link cleared his throat. "The horse is not for me, sir. My mount is a noble friend I won't part with. It's for the town of Ordon, and a lady named Ilia."

"Ah, miss Ilia! A sweet one, that girl was." The old man grinned, exposing a few missing teeth. Link chuckled. It seems like everyone in Castle Town had met Ilia while she was here. "Yep, that girl used to hang around the horses all the time. I thought she was a horse thief at first, but she's no thief! Just crazy."

Link laughed out loud. "You got that right!"

At the sound of hooves clopping over the cobblestone street toward them, the two turned around. The stallion in question was tall and strong, with a freshly-brushed white coat and black around his hooves and mane. Horis was riding the horse, which was five times his size, bareback using only a bridle and reigns.

Link clapped as Horis brought it to a halt and slid off the side. "Nice riding, there, kid. Not everyone has that much skill with a horse that big, especially at your age."

Horis grinned. "Thanks, sir. Here's the Shire, Grandpa."

"Right then. Well, you take a look and see if this guy is what you're lookin' for." He waved his cane in the air. "And you, boy! Go get a nice saddle for this one!"

Link adjusted his belt and walked over to the stallion, patting his neck and running his hands over the sides. The brute was well muscled, with a good back and strong legs. The horse moved his head to keep a brown eye on each move the warrior made, switching his tale in agitation. Link checked the ankles and hooves. With a grunt, Link stood up and moved around to the horse's front, grabbing at the underside of his bridle and yanking his head down to look straight in his face. The horse shifted, and Link narrowed his eyes, holding the gaze and tightening his hold.

"Well," the warrior let go of the horse and turned to Nokert. "He's a steady one, and well built. And if a twelve year old can handle him bareback, I'm sure Ilia can. She's stolen Epona enough to be good at handling a horse, that's for sure."

The old man leaned forward. "You'll take him, then?"

"Yes. What's your price?" Link pulled out his wallet.

Horis hurried past with a light brown saddle and threw it up onto the horse's back, jumping around to secure it properly and getting switched in the face with the horse's tail. Nokert narrowed his eyes. "Ten thousand rupees."

Link snorted. "Yeah right. What do you take me for, stupid? Three thousand."

"An old man's gotta live, young fella, and that there is a fine horse! Eight thousand."

"Five thousand rupees, and you can keep the saddle because I've got a spare one at home I can put on him."

"Fine." Nokert and Link shook hands, and the hero emptied the contents of his wallet into the old man's box. "When would ya like him ready, lad?"

Link smiled, tucking the wallet back into his belt. "I've got something to do that might take a while, so have him ready for me tomorrow morning. I'll come by here at daybreak."

"Good doin' business with ya." The old man sat on his stool and started counting the rupees, and Horis went about taking the saddle off again. Link waved at the two as he walked away, heading toward north castle town, where Princess Zelda awaited his arrival.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

"Halt! No one goes through these gates!" The two guards on either side of the castle gates crossed their spears and glared at Link through their helmets. The warrior narrowed his eyes at them. They had potbellies, the cloth on their armor hadn't been washed in so long it was yellow, and their shields had feet so they didn't have to hold them. He could take these two in one move and enter the castle without a fight. _Disgraceful_, he thought, holding out the rolled up parchment.

"The Princess has summoned me."

The guards opened the parchment and looked at it for a long time, then peered over it at Link with narrowed eyes. "Fine." They pounded on the door and it opened from within. "You can enter. Walk straight to the front door and you'll be escorted to Her Majesty's throne room from there."

Link nodded and took the summons back. The castle grounds looked much like he remembered them, except this time they were populated by gardeners trying to repair the damaged foliage. Guards patrolled back and forth, brandishing their weapons and shouting loudly, and workmen ran around up on the castle walls repairing broken stone. Ahead, a man who seemed to be a butler held open the castle's front door.

"Master Link," the man bowed. "We have been awaiting your arrival. I am Forrad, the Princess's royal advisor."

Link cleared his throat and started to bow back, but Forrad stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. "No need for you two bow to me, sir. Princess Zelda holds you in the highest esteem."

"Ah," the warrior shifted and tapped the toes of his boots on the stone. "I see."

Forrad smiled. "Follow me, please." Link nodded and the door was shut behind them. The halls were as large as Link remembered them to be, however they seemed much livelier. Servants and workman ran in and out of doors, guards held posts at the major entrances, and the sounds of repairs could be heard from deeper within the castle. Everything seemed to gleam in a way it hadn't before, and every person the warrior saw was immaculately dressed and tidy. Forrad himself was quite dashing for his age, wearing a blue silk tunic with gold trim, jeweled cufflinks, with frills sticking out of the sleeves. Obviously a nobleman, not a hair was out of our place and there was no speck of lint or dandruff to be seen on his dark-colored outfit.

Link brushed the patches of dirt off of his tunic as they walked and adjusted the straps that held on his beaten shield and used sword. He thought of the bathwater and hair brush that Telma had offered him that morning, with a knowing gleam in her eyes that puzzled him, and he suddenly wished that he had accepted.

"Pardon us for the mess around the castle," Forrad said, walking at a brisk pace through sets of double doors toward a staircase that would lead them to the castle's upper floors. "It is in quite a state of disrepair from the recent events and we are hard at work on repairs. As it is, we will be crossing over some rather crude temporary solutions, such as wooden planks on the staircase. I would advise you to take caution when you step."

"I will. Thank you." They crossed through a hallway full of suits of armor in various styles, passed through a large set of doors, and started up a crumbling staircase. "Forgive me," Link cleared his throat, "but if I'm not mistaken, wouldn't the throne room be up a different staircase?"

"You are quite right." Forrad looked at Link from the corner of his eye. "Your knowledge of the castle's layout surprises me. The throne room you are thinking of is only used for formal occasions and ceremonies. There is a throne room on a lower level that Her Highness uses for everyday occasions due to its smaller scale and lack of grandeur. It is more of a meeting room than a throne room, and" a smile turned the corner of his mouth, "much easier for old men like myself to reach."

They chuckled, and Link's shoulders relaxed. The sound of their boots clomping over stone and carpet was the only sound between them for the rest of the walk. Forrad turned so many corners that the warrior soon became completely lost, and knew that he would need someone to guide him back to the front door. The last hallway they entered was lined in royal blue carpet, with a ceiling that slopped upward in grand, temple-like arches. On the left wall was a sword display from every province under the rule of Hyrule's royal family, and paintings of past rulers were on the right wall. A pair of chestnut doors with golden handles and carvings of the royal crest stood at the end of the hall.

Forrad and Link stopped just in front of the doors. "We have arrived." Forrad laid his hand on the door handle and turned to Link. "Through these doors is the throne room. I will enter before you and introduce you. You are to enter through the doors, bow to Her Highness, and wait for her to greet you. Once she has greeted you, walk toward her throne until you are two meters from it, bow again, and await her to begin conversation."

Link gulped, nodded his head, and took his cap off, running his fingers through his hair. His stomach gave a nervous ache, and Link wished that he hadn't skipped breakfast either.

The advisor continued. "Now, to introduce you I will need to know your given name, your profession and title, your father's name, his profession and title, and the province from which you herald."

"Well…um, my given name is Link. I'm a goat shepherd." He shifted from foot to foot, fingering the clasp of the pouch on his belt that held the wolf stone. "I never knew my parents, but…well Rusl and Uli took their stead in raising me, I guess. Rusl is the town sword smith. We live in Ordona Province."

At every statement the old advisor nodded his head in a brisk manner, as if checking items off a list. After Link finished, with no mention of a noble's title, Forrad pursed his lips and frowned. "Very well." With one last nod, the advisor turned on his heals to face the door. He rapped a fist against it five times and then pressed his palms to the sides of his legs. There were sounds of shuffling and muffled talk inside, and then the doors swung open. Air rushed out and blew in their faces, smelling of dusty tapestries and flowers.

Forrad walked through the doors, bowed low at the waist with a fist pressed to his chest, and then cleared his throat. "Heralding from Ordona Province, Link Shepherd, ward of Rusl the sword smith, requests an audience with Her Highness, Zelda Nohansen Harkine, the Princess of Hyrule."

"Thank you, Forrad. He may enter."

The old advisor bowed again and backed out of the throne room, turning only after he had exited the doors into the hallway. Link bounced on his toes and wiped his palms on his tunic. At Forrad's signal, Link took a deep breath and walked through the doors, the clunk of his muddy, tattered boots sounding out of place on the clean stone floor. Guards lined the walls of the room, sizing up the warrior in green as he bowed, peeking up at the princess from under dirty blond bangs that hung over his face.

Zelda smiled and leaned back in her chair. "Good hero, after all that you have done for Hyrule, you've no need to bow to me. Please, come closer so we can speak in comfort."

The guards' armored heads turned to Zelda, the unison sound of grinding metal resounding at the movement. Upon straightening, Link was able to get a better look at the room. In place of the throne he expected to see, the princess sat in a plush, throne-like chair with lions carved into the arms. The chair was positioned at a matching wooden desk carved with lions, a phoenix, and other symbols, where neat piles of parchment, a quill dipped in a bottle of ink, and a royal seal with a burning candle rested. A guard approached from the corner of the room with a chair, smaller and less decorated than the princess's, and set it on the other side.

"Thank you, guard," Zelda said as the man bowed and went back to his place. Link paused near the chair, bowed again despite the princess's statement, and then took off his sword and shield. He placed it on the ground, leaned against the side of the chair, and sat down. Blowing out the candle, Zelda pushed the papers aside and folded her hands in her lap. "I am so pleased that you have come. One moment," she held up a hand, looking past Link at guard that had come to stand behind him. The guard saluted her and stood beside the desk. "Captain, will you please dismiss all of your soldiers from the room? I am in the best of hands and wish to speak with Sir Link in privacy. Yourself and Forrad may stay, but procedures for utmost secrecy are to be observed."

"Yes, your Highness." The captain bowed, then turned around and pounded his spear on the floor. The soldiers in the room picked up their spears and shields and turned to him. "Guards, file out! Quickly!"

"Yes Sir Captain!" the guards answered in unison. They marched to the middle of the room, where they made two lines and exited. Forrad and the Captain closed the doors behind them and stood in front of each, trying to look as if they would not be listening to every word spoken.

"Much better," Zelda turned her attention back to Link and sighed. "I apologize for the formalities. Again, thank you for coming so quickly. There are many things I wish to ask you, but first is there anything you want to ask of me? I wish to be of as much assistance to the man who saved my country, and my life, as possible."

Link leaned back and put his elbows on the arms of the chair. "Thank you, princess. You honor me too much." He chewed on the inside of his lower lip and thought. "There are a few things I'm wondering. First, how's Prince Ralis and the Zora Kingdom?"

"King Ralis, you mean," Zelda said. "I have sent many fine men of various talents to help the Zora people rebuild their kingdom. There are repairs that need to be done everywhere, but they are a proud race and Hyrule sent aid to them first. Ralis is doing well, considering the grief he has been coping with. In a letter to me he stated that he understands that his grief is second to his duty to his people and he will honor that duty. I understand that you are to thank for the courage and honor he now displays."

Link shrugged. "He has a strong spirit. I just encouraged him in his time of grief."

"Indeed," Zelda smiled, looking at her desk. "Rutela and I were friends. It grieves me to hear that she is dead."

"I'm sorry Princess."

Zelda waved a hand and shook her head. "Don't be. We all made sacrifices in this war and everyone is grieving. Hyrule is free now, thanks to you, and the festivities will be grand."

"It wasn't me alone, Highness. I couldn't have done it without Midna and yourself."

Zelda looked back at Link with a serious expression. "Yes, of course. Our kingdom would not be free without her…I wish that I was able to honor her properly." Sorrow lined the princess's voice, her eyes seeming to look into the distance as she rubbed a portion of her dress between her thumb and forefinger.

"May I ask a personal question, Princess?" Link cleared his throat again, leaning forward slightly. Zelda nodded. "When Midna was dying and I carried her to you…what, exactly, did you do that made her well? She refused to tell me."

Zelda's eyes widened, and her lips pursed. She pressed a finger to them and gazed across the desk at Link, tilting her head to the side. "That is the one question I will not answer for you, Link. Just as there were events and relationships during your adventure that you will not share with me at this point in our relations with one another, so I cannot share that with you. Perhaps in the future we will feel ready to share such intimate details about our separate adventures." Link nodded, the tips of his ears turning red as he glared at his boots. The corners of Zelda's mouth turned up. "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Link shook his head. "No, your Highness. Not right now."

"All right, then. I have some questions to ask you. Very soon I will be required to approach the people of Hyrule and tell them what happened and to whom they owe their freedom –you." Zelda folded her hands in her lap. "The problem is that not even I know all of the details. I would like to ask you a series of questions so that I can fill in the gaps in my knowledge. As thrilling as the rumors about your deeds are, I'm sure the truth is much more exciting."

"I've heard some of the rumors. Not all of them are flattering. I'll answer your questions as best as I can."

"Thank you. Well, then, let's start. You are a shepherd, correct?" Link nodded. "You are quite skilled with a blade for a shepherd. In fact, if what I saw of your swordsmanship is any indication of your skill, I would say that you are better with the blade and with horses than my entire army. Do you know why that is?"

"I have an idea why, yes," Link said. "I wasn't always good. Rusl taught me a little, but I'd never held a sword before in my life. A part of me just seemed to know…I don't exactly know why."

"I see. So no one but Rusl instructed you?"

Link tilted his head up and thought a moment, then intertwined his fingers. The corners of his mouth twitched. "I can't share that with you. Perhaps in the future we'll feel ready to share such intimate details about our separate adventures."

Zelda's jaw hung open for a moment, and then she threw back her head and laughed, while Link smiled a toothy grin. Near the door, the Captain and Forrad exchanged a glance. The princess's laugher waned and she met the warrior's eyes again, still chuckling. "Very well, good sir, that is fair." She sighed. "So, let me be sure I have my information correct. Due to the power of the Goddesses granted to you, when Zant's twilight covered the land the Goddesses turned you into a beast, which would be representative of your soul I assume. From the reports I have gathered from my kingdom, you, correct me if I am wrong, went to each realm of the land and defeated all the evil in Hyrule, thus restoring peace. Is that the basics?"

Link blinked and scratched his head. "Well…in a breath, yes. There's so much more to it than that, though."

"Indeed." Zelda frowned, propping an elbow on the arm of her chair and looking out a window. "There is much more, but the people of Hyrule do not want the full story. They want the basics so that they can flesh the stories they have heard around it, and so that a statement of any kind from their Queen can prove to them that she is competent." Zelda dropped her gaze, running a finger over the back of her left hand. "Link, I will confide in you something that no one in Hyrule but you will understand." The hero nodded as her blue eyes turned toward him. She held his gaze for what seemed to him like a long time, and in those twin cerulean depths there was a timeless, ancient sadness. It was a sorrow he became more intimate with every day; a heaviness in the soul beyond tears, ineffable, uncontainable by mortal expression.

His eyes drifted to his left hand, and he clenched it into a fist as he looked back at the princess. Each word seemed to linger in the air, expressed for both of them by one. "I did not ask for it, and I would not alter the destiny that possessing it has yielded for me. It awakened very young in me, and I have never been the same… Innocence is not a gift you and I were meant to enjoy."

Link nodded and looked past her, out the window at the cheerful daytime gardens. Lost in their own thoughts and memories, the throne room was loud with silence and the songs of birds outside rang through the stone hall like the sound of golden trumpets. The warrior had never been able to explain to himself, let alone to others, what the mark of goddesses on the back of his hand made him feel. It was a foul gift, a divine joke, a welcomed curse, an untimely blessing. He loved it and hated it; it felt more natural than anything he had known and yet it wasn't him at all; every day he turned into someone else, someone much older and much more skilled than the shepherd boy with no parents. His soul rejoiced in it, and his heart resigned to it. It was just as the princess had spoken, and the hero was grateful for her diplomacy.

"Princess," Link leaned toward her and placed his gauntleted hand on the desk, "at least the goddesses gave us one relief." He took a breath and lowered his voice to a whisper so that only she could hear. "We're not alone in our burden."

Zelda gazed at the shepherd and then a smile softened her features. "Yes, you are right." She inclined her head toward him. "Truly a divine blessing."

Clearing her throat, the princess raised her voice so that the Captain and Forrad in the back of the room could hear them again. "Now, let us proceed. I have an important request that I would like to propose to you. As I said before, you are a better swordsman than every man in my army. However, because of the means by which you came about your skill, you lack specific knowledge that would be required of a general. I would like to propose that you allow me to knight you in a ceremony, as a form of gratitude from myself and the Hyrulian people for the services you gave to this Kingdom. At that time, I would like to make you a captain in my army and, if you accept, you would be tutored by a general in the arts of war. When he feels you have either equaled or surpassed him in skill, I will then give you command over all of Hyrule's army through the entirety of the kingdom."

The Captain and Forrad gasped and jumped, their armor clamoring and clanking. Link's eyes widened and he sat back, gripping the arms of his chair with white knuckles. He opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it again when nothing came out.

Princess Zelda held up a hand and shook her head. "You do not have to answer now," she said. "Think about it and return when you have made your decision. I would, however, like to knight you no matter your decision."

The stunned warrior nodded and shifted in his seat. "Yes, I'll do that. Thank you, your Highness."

Zelda pushed back her chair and stood up. "Please, call me Zelda."

Link followed suit, standing up and bowing at the waist. "Okay Princess."

"Thank you for your time today, Link. I look forward to seeing you again." Zelda walked around the side of the desk and held out her hand, which Link grabbed and shook. Forrad scoffed in the back of the room, and the princess muffled a giggle into the back of her other hand.

The warrior's cheeks tinted red. "Um, the pleasure is mine, your Highness. Have a good evening." He backed away a bit, and then turned and strode toward the doors that Forrad and the Captain were holding wide open for his retreat.

Zelda smiled as she watched him go, then motioned toward the Captain to call the guards back in. She returned to her seat and located the letters and other official documents she had been going over, picking up the quill and tapping the excess ink on the edge of the bottle's neck. She pressed it to the paper, but paused and looked, again, at the open door. _We aren't alone,_ she thought. That was a new concept to her. The triforce awakened in her when she was very young and the manifestation of its powers within her had deprived her of any childhood she might have had. It forced to her to be alone in the world, separate even from her own father as the triforce's wisdom pushed her to question his judgments and fitness to rule. But Link had been given a piece of the triforce as well, and he understood. Perhaps she wasn't so solitary after all.

**Author's Note**: Hello again, and thanks to every person who reviewed chapter 2. It means so much to me to hear your thoughts on the story, and really it inspires me to work harder to get the next chapter out. I want to make a note about the name that Forrad gave Link when he announced him. In the Mideval Age (I think that's the time period…not exactly sure) the "last name" of a family was created by what their profession was. This is why there are so many Smiths in the world! So yeah, I played off of that. I was going to call Link a ranch hand or herder, but Eiji Aonuma himself has called Link a shepherd in multiple interviews, so I went with that. I like the idea of Link being a shepherd better than cowboy anyway. It gives his personality a whole different dimension.

Just more interesting, story-related tidbits from The Wolfess! Please review and let me know what you think, any thoughts really. I enjoy hearing them. No flames, of course, but I don't think any of you would do that anyway.

Until next time!  
~The Wolfess


	5. Silk and Steel

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Four: Silk and Steel**

Night lay over the castle like a hand covering someone's mouth. The barracks where the soldiers and guards of the Hyrulian Army lived was northeast of the castle. It was a stout, four-story structure made of black iron and crumbling stone inlaid with bugs and vines that crawled up the walls. Through the barred windows, the red-orange glow of multiple fires flickered over the walls, and the rumbling of soldiers' voices disturbed what peace the dark night may have held. The soldiers sat in large groups at round tables with dirty mugs in their hands, their brownish-yellow shirts disheveled and their skin smeared with a layer of dirt that was usually hidden beneath their armor, while heated shouting from drunken fights resounded off the walls.

The General's Quarters lay at the heart of the structure on the third floor, marked by a set of wooden doors with red and gold tapestries on either side. On this night the door was cracked, and inside the General's voice boomed over the equally loud voices of the captains who stood in a semicircle around his desk.

"This is an outrage!" he yelled, slamming his fists on the desk. General Gorkenheim, head of the Hyrulian army, was a tall, muscled man with hair on every part of his body. Those who weren't fond of him called him The Ape because of his rough, gorilla-like appearance. The strongest of all the army, he was also the most quick witted. Unfortunately Gorkenheim's love of a good drink and a good female body occupied more of his time than commanding his army, a task which he left to his captains. Under the influence of drink, he often told the women he slept with "Ach, leave the grunt work to the fools. All they need me for is to be a pretty face at them royal functions they keep invitin' me to." His wardrobe of silks, given to him by noblemen or stolen from closets by his favorite women during their other duties, was more extensive than his collection of armor. More extensive than both of these were the piles of rank, disgusting clothing that lay in a corner of his room. The captains in the room avoided standing near it.

"That is what happened, sir," said Captain Volc. "The princess is going to replace you with a shepherd. I heard her say it with my own ears." Captain Volc was a ginger-haired, strong man with a large nose and prominent cheekbones.

Gorkenheim's nostrils flared, his face turning red beneath his beard. "How dare she! I've served the royal family my whole life, like my father before me and his father before him! The nerve of her! The second her father dies, the kingdom is overrun and she thinks she can replace the noble General Gorkenheim with…with a kid! A farm boy!" He grumbled and spat, knocking his chair over as he sat up and began pacing. The captains moved out the way to let him pass without elbowing them. He threw his hands in the air. "The army'll fall apart without me, I tell ya! I'm the only thing keeping you rag-tag miscreants together!" He turned to Volc and put a large hand on his shoulder. "At least you, boy, are loyal to your general. You know where your loyalties lie, aye. Good work."

Volc swallowed and looked at the other captains. There were ten in all, each with a different section of the army under them. He was in charge of the castle guards. Captain Farel, a mousy man with brown hair to match, was in charge of the city patrols and the outer gate posts. There were five captains who oversaw the various sections of the battle-ready section of the army, and the other three, whose names were Doker, Refflan, and Morg, were in charge of the messengers and border patrol units. None of them particularly liked the general, but in light of their personal goals of gaining status and marrying rich they at least had the power that the general neglected.

"Sir, she spoke to him as if he single-handedly won the war. Surely you've heard the rumors about him."

Gorkenheim spun around and glared at Volc, walking over to him and nearly touching noses with the cowering captain, his beer-tinted breath filling Volc's nostrils. "I don't care if he picked up that mountain over there and threw it into the great sea! Leadin' an army is different than fightin' by yourself!" The General turned around, and Volc let out the breath he was holding. "She'll regret this, I tell ya. Mark my words. She'll be crawling back to me in no time. You know what I'll say then? 'Sorry princess,' I'll say, 'you had yer chance with me. Maybe you can do me some favors and I'll come back!' That's right. Mark my words."

The captains nodded, lining up in a row near the door. The General sat down on the top of his desk and pounded his fist into the side, then grunted and stood up again, stomping toward the door. "I need a drink," he muttered, and threw the door open, grumbling under his breath as he disappeared down the hallway. The captains looked at each other, then shrugged and filed out the room. There would be a lot of talk in their units and they needed to be there to regulate it. Princess Zelda was their ruler, after all, and it was their duty to stand by her even if they thought she was being a fool. They didn't want to hear anyone bad mouthing the monarchy. Now, bad mouthing the idiot she was sending to lead them was a whole different ball game. That they wanted in on.

By the time the sun began to rise and the patrol units were exchanging posts, news of the soon-to-be general had traveled through the whole army. The building was alive with shouting and arguing. They would show this Link boy what a real fighter was, that was for sure. He'd regret the day he accepted the offer. Captain Volc tried to tell them that he hadn't accepted the offer yet, but they didn't listen. Weary of trying to set the record straight and regretting that he opened his mouth in the first place, Volc went to his quarters, drank a glass of hard liquor, and fell asleep.

By noon that day, guards who had been present at the night arguments over their future farm boy leader had spread the rumors to a noblewoman passing by, who immediately hurried home to tell her husband, which was overheard by the servants of the house, who told servants from other noble houses, who then told their masters. The aristocracy whispered out it amongst themselves in heated tones, calling it an outrage, ridiculous, a scandal.

In a particular household tucked away in east Castle Town, Durtain, the Count of Rashak, was sitting in his study when he received the news. It was a butler he had hired for the purpose of collecting the town gossip and rumors who reported to him around mid-day.

"This can't be true. Of all the non-sense you bring to me, Tarno, this might be the worst." Count Durtain was a black-haired man in his late twenties who favored navy colors, black leather, and showy swords to strap on his waist. Fencing kept him physically fit, and constant study in his vast library kept his mind sharp. He was known as a shrewd man with hard-edged brown eyes and ambitions higher than his three-story house. Bent over a desk littered with books and paper, he wrote with a black quill and didn't look up at the nervous butler standing near the door.

Tarno wrung his hands and shuffled his feet. "It's the talk of the whole town, sir. The army, I hear, is in a particular uproar. There's no talk of who the first leak was so I haven't been able to verify it yet. Even before this rumor started, this Link fellow has been the talk of the whole country you know. They make him out to be a god almost."

Durtain's hand stopped and he lifted his gaze. "Hm. You are right about that." He placed the quill in its ink well and pushed his chair back. "Well, this won't do, will it? This Link may pose a problem to achieving my goals." He stood up and strode toward the door. "Tarno! Bring my cape and jeweled rapier! I am going to make a visit to the castle and speak with the Princess about this atrocity. Surely she would never put a no-name farm boy at the head of the great Hyrulian Army." The butler bowed and rushed to complete the task.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

The walls of Zelda's personal study seemed to close in on her as she read proposal after proposal, report and after report. Numbers ran through her mind even when she closed her eyes. The previous night she dreamed that all of her people turned into numbers and started lining up in rows in front of the castle, then stormed forward intent on removing her from power by stabbing her with their plus signs. With a sigh, she pushed aside the poorly-written Repair Proposal from New Kakariko, placed her elbows on the edge of the desk, and rubbed her temples. The mayor of the town was killed by Zant's initial attack, so Renado was gracious enough to take over the duty until she could appoint a replacement mayor. Unfortunately, as fond as she was of the kind man, he knew nothing about running a town or writing reports of any kind.

The study was a room in the castle designed for long hours of report signing and law drafting. Books full of records and statistics lined the bookshelves on the walls and the desk was the only piece of furniture in the room. Zelda pushed her chair out from the desk and stood up, moving over to one the window. From it, the princess could gaze down upon her favorite section of the gardens and watch butterflies land on her flowers. She had played there a lot as a girl because her father wouldn't let her leave the castle grounds to play with peasant children, and Zelda knew those gardens better than any of the gardeners who tended it everyday. Often she would lie on her back in between the flowerbeds and keep very still, waiting for a butterfly to land on her nose. When one did its legs ticked her, and it flew away when she giggled. The gardeners grew to dread Zelda's appearance because she loved to climb a tree when she saw them coming and then jump on them as they passed underneath. It stopped being fun when the gardeners stared to walk around the trees, out of reach of her ambush.

Zelda sighed and turned from the window. It wasn't proper for the queen to act that way. As soon as she hit thirteen it was expected that she start acting properly, which meant walking as if you had books on your head, waving daintily, and always speaking with soft diplomacy. Although she loved her people and she loved being queen, it was often a lonely and boring job. There were few friends she could truly confide in, and it was in times after war when the country was hurting and its people were unsettled that one wrong move could instigate a revolt.

A knock on the door jolted Zelda from her thoughts. She folded her hands in front of her and faced the door, then called for the knocker to enter. Forrad shuffled in and closed the door behind him and then bowed.

"What do you have for me, Forrad?" Zelda asked.

"My Princess," Forrad bowed again, and then looked her in the eyes. "The Count of Rashak is waiting outside the door to speak with you. He says that it is urgent."

Zelda frowned. "Count Durtain? I see. Please send him in." She moved to stand near her desk as Forrad left. After a brief exchange outside the door, it opened again and Durtain stomped in. Although seemingly calm, the princess could see lines of tension in his neck and jaw that gave away his frustration.

"Count Durtain," Zelda held out her hand to him, which he bent down and kissed. "Greetings. I would offer you a seat, but you have caught me in my study and there is none. What is your urgent business?"

Durtain bowed. "Your highness, news has reached my ears that bothers me. I assume that it is a rumor, but felt that you should be made aware of it so that you can clear up the mistake."

Zelda nodded. "Please, tell me what you've heard."

"Yes, well. I was told that you were appointing a farm boy of no name, no stature, and little skill to be the head of our army. I know it sounds foolish and I knew that it couldn't be true, but the whole town is talking of him and seem to believe it. There is quite an uproar. The entire army knows, as well as the noble houses and their servants. There is no truth to this rumor, am I correct?"

Zelda frowned again and laid her palms flat on the desk top, taking a slow breath. "Actually, there is truth to it. However, not everything has been related I see. His name is Link and it was he who saved our country from the recent threat, single-handedly."

Durtain narrowed his eyes. "Princess, surely you are not serious?"

"My decision has been made, Count. I, not you, know what is best for this country and you will not question my judgments, do you understand?" Durtain nodded, his hands clenching into fists at his side. "I plan to give an announcement to all the people about what happened in the war and Link's role in it. Everything will be made clear then, and you will all understand. Please spread that news for me, as you seem so interested in gossip."

"Yes, highness. My apologies." Durtain bowed and backed toward the door. "Have a pleasant evening, Princess." He closed the door behind him and Zelda dropped into her chair. How had the information about Link gotten out? Forrad would not have told a soul. No matter how disapproving he might have been about Link's improper manners, he loved Zelda like a daughter and would never go against her judgment. If it wasn't him, then it must have been the captain. This flame of distrust in her rule would have to be quenched, and soon.

As Zelda groaned and rested her forehead against her palm, the bookcase on the west wall creaked. It pushed outward and slid aside just enough to allow room for a woman to slip through. She was twenty-five years old with pale skin and red eyes that were sharp in the dark and glittered with an odd glow. Dark red hair the color of a fine wine was pulled back in a tight braid and bound with strips of black cloth that matched the wrappings of her attire. She wore black rags that were wrapped snug around her body with violet cords tying everything in place. This matched the black and violet cloak that she draped around her shoulders, the hood tossed back. Embroidered on the back of it was a large red eye with a tear dropping from it. It was the symbol of her people, and she was never seen without it. A necklace of the same symbol hung from her neck, and the daggers she kept at her hips were engraved with it.

"Ikal, why does it not surprise me that you were there?" Zelda turned her chair around to face the red-haired woman and leaned backward.

"For the same reason it did not surprise me when you first decided to make the shepherd boy your general. We know one another far too well." She smiled, and Zelda did as well.

"It is good to see you, my friend. How is Old Kakariko fairing? Please tell me your people were not completely decimated."

Ikal inclined her head. "They are not well, but one couple survived. Impaz's health has declined since fulfilling her destiny and we fear she will die soon. It will be up to myself and the couple to revive my people I am afraid."

Zelda stood and walked over to her, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "Your people have come back from the brink of extinction once before, and you can do it again. At least this time there are three of you instead of one."

"Yes, that is true." Ikal nodded, smiling again. "Your decision is causing an uproar around the castle. Quite the scandal they're saying. Of course, they are also saying that Link is either a demon or an angel, depending upon which drunk you talk to." The two women laughed, and Zelda shook her head.

"I fear what will happen if Link doesn't return soon. I need to tell my people the truth of the war as soon as possible." She sighed.

"Don't worry, Zelda. If you wish I will bring him here."

The princess shook her head. "No. He must make the decision on his own time. I suspect we won't have to wait as long as I originally thought. He seems restless."

Ikal placed her right hand on the hilt of the dagger on her hip. "How can you tell? I watched him from the hidden corridor in the back and saw only discomfort."

Zelda looked past Ikal, out the window, and narrowed her eyes in thought. "I just know. It's as if I can sense what he is feeling. Just like the scrolls of old reported…." She shook her head and focused on the Sheikah woman again. "Ikal, can you watch the town for me? I need to know what they are saying as soon as it is said. We cannot afford a revolt now."

"You will hear of it before the gossipers can tell their husbands, I assure you." She bowed and walked to the hidden corridor. She placed her hands on the edge of the bookcase and turned and looked at the princess. "Be careful, highness. I don't trust the people your father put in positions of status and power."

"Thank you, Ikal." Zelda said as the bookcase closed. Ikal was six years older than her. When they first met the princess was ten and Ikal was sixteen on her first sojourn out of the hidden village, referred to as Old Kakariko by the royal family. Only those Sheikah students who showed the best skill were allowed to leave the village at the age of sixteen, and only the number one in the class was allowed to go to the castle. Zelda had been climbing a tree in her latest ripped pink dress when she saw Ikal exit from one of the many hidden Sheikah corridors around the castle grounds. Zelda jumped out of the tree and landed on Ikal's back, face-planting the Sheikah into the ground. They became fast friends, and when Ikal was old enough she was assigned to be Zelda's personal guard in the tradition laid down one hundred years ago during the Age of the First Hero.

The princess turned to the desk and paused, a gloved hand resting on the back of her chair. With her mind in the jumbled, worried state it was in concentration was the last thing she would be able to achieve, and Zelda knew it. She had been locked inside the castle for so long during the siege that she couldn't remember what fresh air smelled like. It was past time to take a break and enjoy her garden.

The guard outside the door to her study stood straighter as she exited into the hallway. "I'm going to the garden for a walk," she said.

"Would you like a guard to accompany you, your majesty?" the man asked. Zelda waved her hand.

"No thank you." She made her way toward the staircase, letting her mind wander as her feet walked the familiar route to the garden gate. She would borrow the gardener's tools, she decided, and find a secluded place to tend the flowers and reflect. She hadn't taken time to get away from the castle and think about everything that had happened since Midna shattered the mirror. Political duties required her attention at all times, leaving her with little sleep and little time to think.

With the city in a frenzy of gossip, her army in a haze of drunkenness, and the best hope for her kingdom's true revival off considering her hurried offer, Zelda escaped to the haven of her garden. There she wrapped herself in her own haze of green and flowers, rich scents soothing her senses, and her hands black with earth. Black, when they should have been red with the blood of the Hyrulian people that died because of her weakness. The princess didn't know all of the names on the list of the dead, but names were still coming in. Why had they not been ready, she often wondered. Why had the attack taken place mere months after her father's mysterious death? Why had there been no alternative to surrender? Why…

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

"How did it go, sir?" Tarno asked, taking Count Durtain's cape and sword. The Count gritted his teeth and growled, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. Tarno cleared his throat. "Not well I'm guess…well, would you like the servants to prepare your fencing room? Or would you prefer a meal?"

"I will take nothing, Tarno. Princess Zelda wears my nerves thin and there is much I need to do. I will see who this Link is and what she sees in him that makes her think he is worthy of the greatness Hyrule pins on him. No one but her even knows what really happened in the war and she has the audacity to tell me to wait to find out with the rest of the peasants?" He walked toward his study and shouted back to the butler. "Bring me one of the army captains! And hurry! I have a job for his men."

**Author's Note**: Woo hoo, another chapter! No Link in this one, but he'll be back next chapter. We do, however, have a lot of new characters. Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I've enjoyed reading them. I would like to address the question that is asked most by the readers: what the romantic pairing in this story is. Knowing how readers often chose what story to read based solely upon the pairing and the fact that romance won't appear for quite some time yet, I'm not saying. Whatever it is, I promise that it will seem very natural when it happens.

Thanks for reading and please review!  
~The Wolfess


	6. To Be or Not To Be

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Five: To Be or Not To Be**

The morning sun was still hidden beneath the distant mountains, creating a gray atmosphere in Southern Hyrule Field. A shifting mist hung over the land, beading on Link's skin and dampening his clothes, adding mild discomfort to his jumbled thoughts. Blue eyes stared at the front of his saddle as Epona trotted through the morning chill, kicking up dew and moist ground with her hooves. The white stallion trotted behind them, tied to a rope that Link held in his fist and snorting with indignation every mile or so.

When he left Castle Town after meeting with Princess Zelda, the hero decided to take the long way back to Ordon. He slept in wolf form with the two horses, which quite surprised the stallion, staying in hidden spots of the field where no travelers would see them. In fifteen minutes the trio would enter Faron Woods, and Link's mind swung back and forth between two options before him like the pendulum of a grandfather clock. He tried to picture himself at the head of an army, or sitting at diplomatic functions and rubbing elbows with the nobles of Hyrule. The image just didn't look right. Him? A shepherd boy from Ordon? Commander of the entire army?

Never. Wouldn't happen.

He had spent his whole life having conversations with goats, and later a rude imp. What made the Princess think that he could lead the entire army? Learn protocol and diplomacy and strategies…wear frilly noble's clothes and thin, show-off swords with jewel-encrusted handles that would never work for actual battle…teach thousands of men with no talent how to wield a blade with skill…whip a shameful army back into shape….

Never. Couldn't happen.

He worked with two partners only, and they were Epona and Midna.

Link thought about these things, and he believed them to, but every time he tried to make that decision, the gruff, rasping voice of a skeletal warrior reverberated in his memory. _"Although I accepted life as the hero, I could not convey the lessons of that life to those who came after. At last, I have eased my regrets. You who have marched through countless foes, each mightier than the last... You, who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded...Surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the gods."_

Link tried to tell himself that he _had_ saved it. It _was_ restored. Princess Zelda was back in her rightful place of power, the evil that threatened it was destroyed forever, the link to the Twilight Realm was shattered, and even the Bulbins had left the land entirely. Hyrule was restored, and he could go back to his normal life and live the rest of his days in peace. He would eventually marry someone and raise children on the ranch, just like Rusl and Uli. Wasn't that the only life he had ever dreamed of? There was no way he would throw that dream away. Ordon counted on him.

In the back of his mind a little voice asked him _"is Hyrule _really_ restored? Is it _really_ 'the chosen land of the Gods'?"_ There was corruption and pettiness in the noble class, the common people were restless and unsatisfied, and the army was a joke riding on the greatness of the past. The officials in power were seen in the bars and brothels more often than in the throne room making just decisions. Over half of the population of Hyrule was killed in the war, along with most of the army's skilled warriors. Hyrule wasn't the 'Chosen Land of the Gods'. It was the chosen land of thieves and murderers, and he knew it well.

When he had passed through Kakariko and the hidden village, Old Kakariko, both towns were devastated. Homes were still empty and boarded up, businesses ruined, and food that had been stored up for the winter was gone. They posted signs on the walls that listed the names of the dead, as well as posters that showed pictures of them with funeral dates. Without a threat to be afraid of, Hyrule's people were grieving and afraid of a winter they were unprepared for. Meanwhile, the nobles and officials got fat on food taken from the lower classes, drunk on beer, and spent more time in the beds of others than in their own. Soldiers who were supposed to enforce the laws of Hyrule and protect the citizens were the biggest cowards and offenders of them all.

Princess Zelda stood amidst the storm like a beacon of light, working tirelessly to pull together the threads of a tattered kingdom left to her by a dead king who had encouraged the frivolities rather than enforce discipline. Thrust into power, surrounded by chaos, distrusted by a wounded country, the Princess knew more about true solitude than this hero ever had. Link had always had friends to turn to for comfort and help when he needed it. He wondered who the Princess of Hyrule turned to when she needed help or comfort? How could he say no when both the people of Hyrule its ruler still needed him?

Epona tossed her head, brushing her mane over Link's hands, and blew air out threw her lips. The warrior blinked and shook his head to clear it. The man and two horses had entered the forest and were coming upon Coro's House. Seeing them, the oil-seller grinned and waved at Link, his afro shaking slightly at the quick movements.

"Hey, guy! You've been gone a while! Want some lamp oil?"

Link waved as the two horses walked by. "No thanks, Coro. How's business?"

Coro grabbed a tin mug nearby and ladled some of his soup into it. "It's been slow, guy, but things'll pick up! Come by next time you need some! See you later!"

The trio crossed the bridge to Ordon and Link stopped Epona in front of his house, reaching out to stop the white stallion as it tried to leave them. "Not so fast, you," Link mumbled, swinging off of Epona and grabbing the knot where the rope was tied around the stallion's neck. "I can't have her seeing you yet. You have to be a surprise. She's probably still mad at me." The horse stomped his hooves and shook his head as Link tied the end of the rope to his house's ladder. "Yeah, I know you don't like me. You won't have to deal with me much longer." He patted the horse's rump and started toward the path to the village. "Epona, keep an eye on him until I get back."

Link walked down the path into town, heading toward the Mayor's house. The villagers stopped and waved at him as he passed, with small exclamations of "oh, Link, you're back" and "Hey there, Link, how's it going?" After his coming and going during his adventure, the adults of the town were used to it. The kids, who were in Kakariko during the siege, had a more difficult time understanding why he couldn't stay now that the war was over. The hero knew that their parents and Ilia would have explained it to them, so he didn't see a reason to explain it himself. Adjusting the bracer on his left arm, Link stepped up to Mayor Bo's door and knocked.

"Yeah, hold up, I'm comin'!" There were some rustling and crashing sounds and then Mayor Bo yanked the door open, his large frame filling the doorway. "Link, m'boy! Welcome back!" He threw his arms around Link and almost lifted him off the ground with a hug. The blue-eyed hero laughed and patted the mayor's arm. "Come in, come in!"

Link nodded and walked in, his eyes surveying the cluttered room. It was littered with paper, wood, and boxes. Lifting his eyebrows, Link put a hand on his hip and looked at Bo, whose ears turned red as he nudged the debris to the side with his toe.

"Sorry for the mess. Ilia's birthday in a few days, ya know. She's gone with Uli in the forest while I fix her present and hide it. Anyway, the chair is clear. Take a seat; tell me what the Princess wanted with you."

"Thanks, Bo." Link walked over to the stiff wooden chair and turned it to face the mayor. "She wanted to thank me and ask me some questions about what happened. Also, she asked me to do something for her. I wanted to talk to you about it. I don't know what to tell her, how to answer."

Mayor Bo leaned forward in the chair he sat in, resting his elbows on his knees and folding his hands. "Shoot. I'll help you if I can."

Link nodded. "Well, you know that I saved the children, the Gorons, and Prince Ralis. I know that the kids told you about all of that. What no one in Hyrule but Princess Zelda knows is that I, with help from a handful of people, am the reason that we won the war." He paused, looking at Bo's impassive expression for some sign of a reaction. Seeing none, he rubbed his sweaty palms together and continued. "Bo, the Princess has asked to knight me and then train me to become the head of the army."

"She _what?_ You're kidding me! _Really?_" Link nodded, and Bo sat back, his large chest huffing out a sigh, and rubbed his balding head. "Well, what do you think about it, lad?"

Link sighed and rubbed his eyes with his left hand. "I don't know, Bo. Not yet."

Mayor Bo stood and crossed the room to Link, placing a large hand on the boy's shoulder. "Whatever you decide, Link, I'll support you in it. You take all the time you need. No one's pushing you either way here, you know that."

Link nodded. "Thanks Bo." He stood up and paused, shifting his shoulders as the muscles cramped. Acutely aware of the many hours spent that day sitting in Epona's saddle, the warrior walked to the door and stepped outside, resting his hand on the door knob. "When I make the decision I'll let you know," Link said, turning to look at Bo. "Oh, and when is Ilia getting back?"

"At sunset I think. They just left. There's going to be a big town dinner for her on her birthday. Jaggle's making a table big enough for the whole town just for the occasion."

Link grinned. "How's he planning on hiding it?"

Bo laughed. "He put it in the woods behind his watermill! We've been having one heck of a time trying to keep her from going near his house 'cause he didn't put it that far in."

Link chuckled and waved, closing the door. It was just like Talo and Malo's dad to get a great idea, like hiding the table in the woods, and not hide it well enough. He made a great shield for Rusl and left the window open, which gave Link and Midna the perfect opportunity to jump in and steal it. It was too bad that it burned up in the Goron Mines. He'd had to go buy a metal shield to replace it. Midna had immediately pointed out that he should have thought of that in the first place. _"Let's think here…giant volcanic mine full of lava and fire monsters…let's take the wooden shield!"_ She was right, of course. She was always quick to point out Link's mistakes, which he thought was cruel, at first. Then he started encountering larger, more dangerous enemies and learned that those small mistakes could have cost him his life. He never got to thank Midna for preparing him for harder tasks with her crass instruction.

The morning mist was beginning to lift by now, and small rays of sunlight peaked through the clouds and in the windows of the sleepy town. Mayor Bo was always the first one awake every morning, and seemed to be the last one to bed more often than not. Link had always thought of the large man like a grandfather. Since he became mayor and stopped wrestling, Bo's physical condition had gone downhill, or so Link heard, but those who knew him when he was young spoke of a tall, large, muscled man with dark hair who everyone admired. He was a ladies' man they say, though Bo himself would never admit to it because he only had eyes for his wife, who later died while giving birth to Ilia. Bo never spoke of her anymore, but when the sunset engulfed the land the burly mayor got a forlorn look about him. Once, when Link first noticed how depressed Bo seemed at sun down, he asked Pergie about it. _"You can see his wife in his eyes at sun set,"_ she murmured. _"Ilia is the only woman who he'll ever let into his life now."_

Link only had vague memories of his parents from when he was little. When he was five they went into the forest together to gather some wood and berries, unarmed, and were ambushed by a gang of Bokoblins. Rusl and Bo slaughtered all of the monsters, but they were too late to save Link's parents. Rusl and Uli took the boy Link under their wing, treating him like their own son. Bo kept his parents' house for him in preparation for the day when Link would be old enough to fend for himself and take care of it. During the journey, the hero had wondered what his parents would have thought if they learned who –what– their little boy really was, but then he would think of Rusl and Uli. They were the only parents he really remembered and knew. He would trust them with anything, and even though he hadn't told them everything about his adventure yet, he knew that they would be proud of him.

Lost in thought Link had walked to Rusl and Uli's front porch, and just as he started thinking about the role that they had played in his life, the front door swung open and the father-figure in question stood on the other side with sword and shield in hand.

"Woah!" Rusl took a step back, blinked, and then laughed. "Hey, Link! Way to surprise a guy. Were you going to knock, or just stare at the carvings on the door? Welcome home!"

Link grinned and hugged the older man, patting him on the back as he did so. "It's great to see you!"

"Yeah, same here," Rusl patted Link's back and let go, pulling his door shut and starting down the stairs. "I was about to go on a patrol of Ordon's borders. Can't be too careful. Want to come?" Link nodded and fell in step with him as they headed toward the ranch. There was a patrol path up there that wound around the borders of Ordon and ended at the bridge. "Fado keeps letting the goats out, then they get into the woods and we lose 'em. The Bokoblins kill some of 'em, but with the Bulbins gone we've been able to get a lot of 'em back. I tell ya, Link, nothing but a horse can keep those goats in the pen."

"Yeah, I know. I think the number of loose goats is going to go down soon."

Rusl veered up the path, his long strides keeping him a step ahead of Link. "With you and Epona taking care of the ranch again it will, that's for sure."

Link cleared his throat and walked a bit faster. "That's not what I meant. I bought Ilia a horse. He's a white stallion, a Shire. That's a breed built for ranch work. He's almost bigger than Epona! I'm going to give him to Ilia when she gets back tonight."

"Well, well! A new horse in town!" Rusl nudged Link with his elbow, chuckling. "Ilia will be beside herself, to say the least."

Link laughed. "I know! She keeps trying to steal my horse, I figured that it was about time she got one of her own."

The two blond-haired men waved at Fado as they passed by and started up the path. It wound uphill for the first ten minutes, and then leveled out once it hit the ridge that encircled most of the town. From the path, Rusl and Link could see all of Ordon and most of the surrounding area, making it easier to spot potential threats and runaway goats.

"So," Rusl said, looking at the young warrior from the corner of his eyes, "when you say 'that's not what I meant', what you did mean is that you're not coming back to Ordon. Am I right?"

Link shook his head. "No, that's not what it means. Well…I don't really know. If I'm coming back or not, that is."

"What did the princess tell you?"

Link reached down and picked a blue flower from the side of the path and stroked its fragile petals. "That she wants to train me to become the general of the whole army."

Rusl grunted, nodding his head and drawing his sword. He swiped it through the air a bit, and then ran the calloused pad of his thumb along the sharp edge. Link picked the flower petals off, one by one. "Doesn't surprise me," the older man finally said. He re-sheathed his sword and looked at Link. "I know you saved Hyrule. I don't know the details, and I don't know how I know. I just feel it in my gut. It's a logical decision for her."

Link tossed the now-bare stem of the flower to the side. "I don't know what to answer. I'm just a shepherd from the smallest, youngest province in Hyrule. I'm not cut out to command an army, Rusl!"

"And you're so sure, are you?"

"Yes!" Link stopped, clenching his fists and glaring at the other man. "Of course I'm sure! I didn't ask for any of this! What do I have that you didn't have? You were a better swordsman than me! Bo is a better leader than me!" The knuckles of his fists turned white, nails digging into the palms. Heat spread through his body, turning his neck and ears red. "I don't know who I am anymore, Rusl. All I wanted was to be a goat shepherd like my parents and defend the town like you. I was going to live a quite life here in Ordon! I wanted to marry and raise kids here! But then the war happened and I was thrust into it and I didn't know what I was doing and I almost died a hundred thousand times…Rusl,_ I've killed! A lot!_" His body shook as he stared at his palms. "I have so much blood on my hands…I don't know what I want anymore…."

Link closed his eyes, hanging his head as Rusl placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed. High above Ordon, they just stood there for a while and listened to the restless sounds of the forest. As Link's trembling stilled and the red faded from his skin tone, the older man caught the hero's eyes. "Are you okay, now?"

Link nodded, lifting his head and opening his eyes. "Sorry, Rusl."

Rusl dropped his hand. "Don't mention it. You just had to get it off your chest. It's a mortal need we all have, don't worry. That why men get married, you know: so that they'll have someone there to listen to them."

They started walking again, maintaining a measure of silence while the warrior gathered himself. "Do you want to hear my thoughts on it, Link?" Without waiting for a response, Rusl continued. "The goddesses create us for a specific purpose. A job that they want us to complete while we're alive, so to say. I figure that they wouldn't give a man a specific job and not put the right tools and abilities in him to complete it perfectly."

"Yeah…"

"Yeah?" Rusl stopped and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You sound so dejected. You know what I think my job is? I think that my biggest job was to raise you so that you would be prepared to take the destiny that the goddesses created you for. To prepare you to become the hero you now are. Have I failed?" Link scuffed his toe in the dirt as Rusl continued. "You have been given an honor, Link! You were created for this, and I know that you feel it, even if your head doesn't want to accept it. A sword means nothing unless the hand that holds it has courage."

Link's head snapped up, his eyes wide. "What did you say?"

Rusl smiled, walking again. "You said that to me, you know. You were really young and I was showing you how to use a sword." He paused, looking at Link. "We all have always known that you weren't going to stay in Ordon, Link. You read more than we could get our hands on and had wisdom beyond your years. There were times you looked at me and it wasn't a ten year old gazing out through your eyes, but rather someone who made me feel ten. I don't pretend to understand you, or to have raised you well enough. But we've always known. It's who you were made to be."

Link bit his lip and frowned, looking around at the forest. The two men walked the rest of the path in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. By the time they reached the end of the path it was time for the mid-day meal, but the young warrior wasn't hungry. They stopped in front of Link's house and Rusl inspected the stallion, patting the horse's side and congratulating Link's choice of horse. Link said goodbye to Rusl and started up his ladder.

"Link?"

The hero turned around. "Yeah?"

"About what Princess Zelda asked of you. I can't make the decision for you, but I want to tell you this: follow what your heart and soul are telling you, not what your head says you should want. Do what your spirit says is right, not what your mind is trying to convince you should be right."

Link nodded. "I will. Thanks Rusl…for everything." Inside the house, a fire was roaring in his hearth. Link walked over to his table and sat, opening the sketchbook that lay there to a blank page and dabbing his quill in the ink. With a hand that was slightly shaky, he started drawing. First the line of the forehead, then the shape of the paw; each line laid down by the hero's hand was thick and elegant, bringing the form of a golden wolf with red eyes onto the page. _Did he ever feel this indecision,_ Link wondered. _If only it were easier to lay down your dreams..._

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

A walk between women is an intimate encounter of like-souls, permeated with an atmosphere that a man could not fully comprehend. Women pick flowers for bouquets, giggle through forested paths, and talk about everything from the meaning of the universe to who-loves-who. Uli and Ilia, despite an age difference, were the best of friends. Pergie agreed to watch the baby for Uli, and she was thoroughly enjoying the time for herself, away from children and husband. She loved them with all of her heart and soul, of course, but every now and again a grown woman needed some time to relax and enjoy herself with a girl friend.

For her part, Ilia was grateful for the respite. Link hadn't returned yet from the castle and she had been worrying about him and Epona. Her father had been asking her why she was so down since the day that Link left, but she didn't know what to tell him. He was a man, and matters of a girl's heart should be discussed with a woman who had experience. As they walked through the day, relaxing and discussing nothing of importance, Ilia had been going through what she wanted to ask Uli while she had the woman alone. There was no one she would rather talk to for a mother's advice than Uli, although she enjoyed Pergie's advice as well. Pergie taught Ilia everything she knew about taking care of her father, but Uli taught her what she knew about being a woman.

The sun drifted toward its evening resting place, and the two women ambled back toward town. Ilia twisted the end of her hair around her finger, green eyes fixed on the ground in front of them. Uli, walking with a little bit of a mother's sway, looked at the girl and smiled, tilting her head.

"There is something that you have wanted to ask me all day, isn't there?" she said, placing a hand on Ilia's upper arm. "We're getting close to the village, so you should tell me now."

"Okay." Ilia nodded, patting Ula's hand. "Well…it's about Link."

Uli smiled. "I figured as much. What about him?"

Ilia lowered her gaze, looking at her feet. "It's obvious, huh?"

"To me it is. I am a woman, a wife, and a mother after all. I notice these things."

"I guess you're right. Here's the thing," Ilia began. "Ever since he came home he has been…different. Acting very strange. I don't understand what's going on."

Uli frowned. "Yes, Rusl and I have noticed the change in him as well. Rusl thinks that Link must have had experiences while he was away that greatly impacted him."

"Yes…he must have…" Ilia wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. "You know that I like him, Uli. I've talked to you about it before. Before all of this, we were on the track to telling each other…I know he loved me too."

Uli nodded. "Everyone knew it, dear. It was no secret."

"I guess you're right," Ilia chuckled, but her heart wasn't in it. She stopped walking and sat down on a large tree stump nearby, waiting until the other woman sat as well before she continued. "He doesn't act like he even wants to be my friend anymore, let alone love me. I don't want to lose my best friend, Uli! I have feelings for him, but he's my friend before anything else. I don't want to lose that friendship…even if it means not loving him. I want to help him and be there for him to talk to, like we did when we were younger." She put her face in her hands and slumped over. "I don't know what to do."

Uli reached over and wrapper her arms around Ilia, letting the girl lay her head on the mother's shoulder. She hummed, slightly rocking Ilia. What should she say to a young girl whose heart was breaking because of a friend who was no longer a quiet boy? Was there anything to say, or should she simply comfort her and let her decide what to do? "I can't tell you what you should do. Just follow your best judgment… maybe talk to him and find out what's going on, as a friend."

Ilia sniffed and nodded. "I'll do that. Thanks Uli." The two women hugged and then stood up, walking the rest of the way toward Ordon.

Further down the path, Colin sat on a rock and shot seeds and small rocks at a target painted on a tree using a slingshot. Link gave him the toy weapon earlier that day when he asked Colin to keep an eye out for Ilia and Uli on the bridge. The small boy was halfway through whistling a song Pergie had taught him when he saw the two women step onto the other side of the bridge.

"Oh! There they are!" He ran over to the spring and stuck his head inside, where Link was grooming the stallion. "She's here, Link! I'll go bring her!"

Link grinned. "Thanks Colin!"

Colin ran over to the bridge and skidded to a stop in front of them. Panting slightly, he smiled at the two and held out his hand to Ilia. "There's someone waiting for you at the spring, but you have to close your eyes. I'll lead you."

Ilia blinked. "What? Who?"

Colin looked at his mom and back to Ilia. "You'll see." She shrugged and waved at Uli, then took Colin's hand and let him lead her. He monitored her feet, making sure she didn't stumble, and led her into the spring water. He let go of her hands and backed away, leaving the two alone.

"Colin? Where did you go? What's going on?" Ilia stretched her hands out in front of her, groping at the air to find the top of Colin's head or a wall she could steady herself on. Instead, the tips of her fingers hit the furry chest of the stallion, and she gasped, jerking her hand back.

Link grinned placed his hand on her back. "You can open your eyes, Ilia. Happy birthday!" He stepped back and folded his arms over his chest.

"Link? What's going on?" When Ilia looked she found herself staring into a pair of large brown eyes. She covered her mouth with her hands and gasped, her green orbs widening. "This –wha –I –Link…" Ilia walked around the horse, her hands sliding over his white coat and brushing through his black mane and tail, her eyes moist and her face beaming with joy. Link turned as Epona whinnied behind him, sticking her head around the corner of the gate to peak in at the scene. He gave her a thumbs up, and the horse tossed her head and danced on her front hooves. When Link turned back to Ilia, the girl had her arms around the stallion's neck, her shoulders bobbing with muffled sobs. The stallion rubbed his nose against her side and breathed his warm breath on her, more tame than Link had yet seen him.

"Hey! What's wrong?" Link asked, touching Ilia's shoulder. She sniffed and turned her head toward him, the smile on her face so big that it looked as if it was going to break it.

"Nothing! This is the happiest moment of my life!" she threw herself at Link and hugged him, bouncing on her toes. "Thank you! Thank you! I can't believe this!"

Link laughed and hugged her back. "You're welcome. The stallion seems enchanted with you already."

The horse nudged his head against Ilia's side, stepping forward and pushing in between the two, glaring at Link. Ilia laughed and rubbed his head. "He's a sweetheart," she said. "What's his name?"

"He's young yet and doesn't have one. The honor is all yours."

Ilia combed her fingers through the horse's mane. "Oh, I wouldn't know what to name him yet. I haven't gotten to know him."

"Well, why don't we go on a ride together and you can get to know him?" Link whistled, knowing Epona was just around the corner waiting for him to need her. She pranced over to him and nudged the small of his back with her head.

Ilia noticed that saddle and bridle. "He's already broken?" Ilia asked, surprise in her tone.

Link swung up onto Epona's back. "A twelve year old rode him bareback when the owner brought him to me. He's definitely broken."

"Wow, bareback?" Ilia swung up into the saddle that Link had put on the stallion, recognizing it as the spare that Link kept in his house. "If he was pre-trained he must have been very expensive."

They urged their horses forward, Ilia exiting first and then Link. They crossed the bridge in single file, then Link brought Epona up next to the stallion once they were across and the path widened. "You've been my best friend for as long as I can remember, so nothing is too expensive. Plus," he added, "Ordon needs a horse to help with the goats, and you won't be able to steal Epona anymore."

Ilia laughed, then tilted her head and looked at Link. "Hold on there, what do you mean I 'won't be able to steal Epona'? Are you leaving?"

The hero turned his head away from the girl, watching squirrels dance in the tree branches. "I don't know. But even if I don't leave permanently, I will still be gone a lot."

"Oh."

They led their horses toward the gate to Hyrule field, waving at Coro as they passed by, because the trails in the forest were too small for one horse, let alone two. The two horses looked at each other a lot and slapped one another's hind quarters with their tails, seeming to have a conversation of their own to make up for the awkward silence between their riders.

Finally, Ilia sighed and looked at her childhood best friend. "We need to talk, Link."

"I know."

The mayor's daughter closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling it through her lips and waiting for her heartbeat to slow down before she spoke. "Link, let's be honest with each other," she looked at him, her green eyes so scared and unsure, shifting back and forth between his blue ones as if trying to know what he would say before he said it. "I like you…a lot. I would dare to almost say 'love', but I think that we're too young to truly know what that is yet."

"Ilia, I…"

"Not yet," she held up her hand, in a gesture that reminded him of the Princess of Hyrule. "I know that you loved me too at one time. Everyone knew it, Link; we didn't hide it well. But…well, I don't know what happened to you during the war. But whatever it was, I can see that it has changed you. It has hurt you. I don't feel like I know you anymore, and although I do love you, I'm your friend first." She steered the stallion closer so that she could touch the warrior's shoulder, and waited until he turned his moist eyes to look at her. Holding his gaze, feeling his shoulders tremble beneath her touch, she went on. "I can see that your heart and mind are confused right now. Give me that much credit for having known you our entire lives. I don't want you to make any decision about this until you've sorted yourself out. Even if you find that you don't love me in a romantic way anymore, I'm fine with that. I'll get over it. But I don't want to lose any measure of your friendship because of all that has happened…okay?"

Link swallowed, cleared his throat, and sniffed. "Okay…." He wiped his eyes, and Ilia steered the stallion away. "Thank you, Ilia. You're the best friend I've ever had." Epona turned her head and glared at Link. He laughed and patted her neck. "Other than Epona, of course!"

They laughed, and the tension that had been between them ever since Link returned was gone. Finally he didn't have to worry about letting her down or breaking her heart with his uncertainty and confusion. It felt as if shackles had been taken off of his ankles. Twilight descended on the field and they turned their horses and returned home, playfully arguing and joking around together like they had all of their lives.

Link dropped Epona off at his house and walked Ilia and the stallion home. She tied him up around the back and hugged Link goodnight. "I think I know what I'm going to name him," she said as Link turned to walk home. "I overheard Renado and Shad talking once. They were discussing the legends of Hyrule, a mutual interest they discovered, and they spoke of the sages in the first age of Hyrule. The name of the Sage of Fire caught my ear. It was Darunia." She smiled and rubbed the stallion's neck. "I think that I'm going to name him Daru, after that sage. The Sage of Fire sounded like a strong, spirited man, according to legend, and I think that fits him. What do you think, Link?"

"I love it. It's perfect for him! Daru the stallion. What do you think, huh?" Link craned his head to address the horse. The black and white stallion pranced around in a circle and tossed his head. "I guess he likes it too! Daru it is. Goodnight Ilia!"

"Goodnight Link!"

The warrior walked back toward his house, his eyes gazing at the moon as it rose. Something in Link's soul jumped and ached at the mention of the sage, Darunia. Why did it sound so familiar to him? And why did he feel such intense affection for him, like he felt for Rusl? Link sighed. It probably had to do with the hero's soul within him that had lay dormant for so many years until that fateful day when he first entered the twilight. It didn't feel like a separate entity inside of him; instead, the hero's soul felt like the completion of who he was. The Ordon shepherd couldn't imagine himself without it; indeed, the more he let go of his inhibitions and followed the gentle guidance of his spirit, the happier and more fulfilled he felt.

With a hand on his ladder, Link froze. _ I just answered my own question,_ he thought. Ever since the hero's soul awakened within him, Link had learned to follow it. His mind, which was a product of his life, always told him not to agree to help people, not to fight the giant monster, not to enter the creepy temple or the haunted prison, and so on. It urged caution and longed for the still, uneventful days in Ordon that always seemed to blur together until one week was no different from the next. Though his mind wasn't always wrong, it was best to follow the gentle whisper in his soul. When the two were combined, the warrior was at his best. His Ordonian mind just had to learn to have faith in his soul's guidance.

_My mind is telling me to stay here,_ Link realized, _but my soul knows that I have to go. It must be the will of the goddesses. Hyrule needs me more than Ordon…and they will be proud of me no matter what I do or where I go._

When the hero lay down that night, his mind and heart unified in decision, a peace fell upon him that he hadn't felt for a while. Though fleeting, this temporary respite was long-overdue, and Link slept in peace.

Link stayed in Ordon for two more days after that night, having decided to announce his departure to the town while they were all gathered together at Ilia's party. He had already informed Mayor Bo and Rusl of his intensions, and then spent the remainder of his time enjoying his home town and the friends in it. He romped through the woods in his wolf form, helped Ilia learn how to herd the goats with Daru, and packed up everything he owned in various chests and rolls. For the first trip Link would merely take whatever he and Epona could carry, and then he would send a wagon to bring the rest when the Princess gave him a place to live, which he assumed she would do. Perhaps Telma would let him borrow her wagon for the trip. Every small detail about moving his life from Ordon to Hyrule Castle worked its way through his mind during the past two days, and the warrior thought that he had most of it figured out by now.

The party was going to start very soon. They had been setting up all day, gathering food, making decorations, and hauling the table out of the forest. Hanch was working the torches into the ground around the table for when it grew dark, nearly catching himself on fire in the process, and the rest of the townspeople were away getting ready. Link walked around the table, adjusting things and making sure everything was in order.

The hero wondered how were they going to react when he told them. Should he tell them in the beginning so that they had time to joke around afterward and feel better about it, or should he not dampen the occasion and wait until the end? How much of the reason why Zelda asked him should he reveal to them? The Princess was planning to tell Hyrule eventually, after all…plus, how would they feel knowing that the "monster" that had attacked their town when the children were gone and stolen the sword and shield they had designed for the royalty of Hyrule was actually him? They had attacked him, ran from him, and wounded him. Link understood why and he never held it against them, but how awkward would it be for them to find that out? Perhaps he would keep that little detail to himself. Midna and the Twili were another subject that he would keep hidden, as well as the Golden Wolf. It would be very hard for them to understand these foreign entities. If a wolf scared them so much, how would they react to an imp and a skeleton?

"Hey, Link!" Rusl waved and walked over to the pensive hero, throwing an arm over the boy's shoulder when he got near and squeezing. "Are you ready for tonight?"

Link nodded. "I think so. I can't decide when to tell them, though."

"Hm." Rusl rubbed the hair on his chin. "Why don't you go ahead and tell them right away?" Link frowned, but before he could speak the older man continued. "I know you don't want to dampen their spirits, but it won't surprise them too much. The kids will understand too; they're growing up a lot more than you'd think. Then we all could have the whole night to laugh and enjoy our time together, so we can go to bed in good spirits rather than with heavy hearts."

"Okay. Thanks Rusl."

The rest of the town was arriving now, family by family. First Fado, since the table was closest to his house, then Sera and Beth, followed by Pergie, Jaggle, and their two boys. Mayor Bo and Ilia came next, taking their places at the heads of the table. Uli and Colin were last to arrive because of the baby girl, who Uli had named Vesuun. Everybody had taken to calling her Suun and she was the favorite of the town already. The table was set with all kinds of goodies. There was goat meat, courtesy of an old female goat that died the day before, as well as baskets full of warm bread with goat cheese and honey to spread over it. Everyone brought various pumpkin dishes and berries gathered from the forest. To the noble class in Castle Town it was a meager meal, but to the hard-working citizens of Ordon it was a grand feast and they were grateful for it. Having taken their seats around the table, everyone bowed their heads together while Bo thanked the Goddesses and blessed their meal.

"And thanks to each of you for making this possible. Now…Enjoy the feast!" He clapped his hands, and everyone lunged forward at once, clamoring to dish out food to each person. Link listened to the hum of voices and the banter of the kids, dishing himself modest portions of food as it was passed around the table, and waited for the excitement to settle. His blue eyes watched each of the families, seeing the familiar ways they interact with each other and the love that was always there, even if it wasn't obvious all of the time. They were the only family that the boy had ever known. His heart swelled with love for them, and sorrow at leaving. At the same time, he was excited about the many experiences that were forthcoming in his new life. Who knew what the Goddesses had in store for him now?

Link stood up and cleared his throat, raising his hands above his head until everyone quieted and looked at him. "Thanks everyone. First, I want to say happy birthday to Ilia. May you always have a horse to ride! Second, thank you to everyone for this amazing feast. I haven't eaten this well since the last time we did this! Seems like years ago, doesn't it?" There were agreeing murmurs around the table. "I have an announcement to make. It's both positive and negative, depending on how you look at it. Rusl thought I should tell you right away, so…"

"Go ahead, dearie, spit it out!" Sera said, smiling with encouragement at him. Link nodded and cleared his throat.

"All right. Well…I'm moving to Hyrule Castle Town."

Shouts resounded around the table.

"What?"

"Why?"

"What's wrong with Ordon?"

Link raised his hands again and spoke louder. "I have a good reason! If you will quiet down, I'll tell you why!" The table went silent, and Link nodded. "Thanks. You all know my role in delivering Hyrule from the hands that oppressed it during the war. Hyrule is confused and chaotic now. There is a lot going on that just isn't seen here in Ordon. Ordon was the last province to fall to the enemy and as a result it wasn't affected as much as the rest of Hyrule. It's a peaceful, calm retreat, separated from the political turmoil that's ripping apart what's left of this country. Princess Zelda has asked me to become the head of Hyrulian Army, and I'm going to accept. This means that she will knight me, and then train me in whatever I need to know about diplomacy and logistics. I will need to move there because of the duties that this position will no doubt entail. And that's all I have to say."

Link sat down and took a swig of the water in his goblet. The table was so silent that he could hear the crickets chirping.

Mayor Bo stood up. "I just wanted to let everyone know that Link told me and Rusl about this the first day he got home. We have given him our blessing." He nodded at Link and sat down again.

"Well!" Jaggle stood up, a genuine smile on his face. "Ain't this great news! Way to represent Ordon, Link! It's about time Hyrule started recognizing that it needs this town and its people." Pergie kissed his cheek when he sat down. One by one each of the adults expressed their pride and consent, even Ilia and Colin said a few words. Soon the tension was gone and they were laughing together again. A barrel of ale that Bo had been saving for a special occasion was brought out, with Bo exclaiming that _this night should be extra special! Not only are we celebrating the birthday of my daughter, we're also sending off one of our own to lead the country!_ The children, of course, weren't allowed to drink more than one small cup.

The sounds of song, dancing, and laughter were heard late into the night. Link went to bed knowing in his heart that he had made the right decision, and was eager for the morning.

**Author's Note**: Yes! Chapter five! And an exceptionally long one. I think this beats the first chapter. Thanks for wading through it! I sincerely thank all of you who have reviewed and all of you who are reading, even if you haven't reviewed yet. (I hope you will soon, though!) Knowing that you all are enjoying it so much makes the hours of work poured into these chapters worth it. It would be no fun writing something this long and epic without knowing that there are people enjoying it besides me!

There are a couple of you who reviewed with questions, but weren't logged in so I couldn't reply like I usually do. So, I'm replying to you here. You know who you are, so I won't mention names! One person is reviewing for multiple people. I was wondering exactly how many people are reviewing through you? And what some of your theories are? I would love to hear them! And thanks to you all for reading!

There's another person who asked about Link's voice. First, thanks so much for the long review. I really enjoy those! And I decided to make Link talk for a number of reasons. Mostly, it's because in the games when people ask him questions or ask him "what's going on" and he apparently tells them, they always respond as if he said something. I figure that he does talk, we just don't see his text. Nintendo talks about why they don't have voice actors for the characters, and I think this principle applies to why we don't see Link's text. They said that they want the characters in Zelda, especially Link, to be whatever the player wants them to be, so that it's a very personal adventure. I think not being able to read what Link says is perhaps taking that a bit too far, but oh well. So, I hope that answered your question! Thanks so much for reading, and for the long review!

That's it for now! Be sure to review, and I'll see you next time!

~The Wolfess


	7. A Job for the Army

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Six: A Job for the Army**

In the east section of Hyrule Field a group of soldiers stood at attention, torches in hand, in the black of night. There were ten of them in all: eight soldiers, Captain Volc, and General Gorkenheim himself who stood in front of the gathered force with his large, hairy arms crossed over his chest.

His eyes moved up and down the line of soldiers, nodding in approval. Durtain had paid him a nice sum to perform this "service to the people of Hyrule" as the Count put it, and the general was more than willing to agree. He personally picked the best fighters in the army: two archers, two swordsmen, and two large, ax-wielding brutes with no I.Q. As far as the general and Durtain were concerned, the Ordonian kid was done for, and good riddance.

"You heard Count Durtain's orders, soldiers," Gorkenheim said. "Go show this kid what it means to be in the army. I leave them to you for orders, Captain." They all banged their weapons against their shields or the ground and shouted as the general saluted them and walked back into the town.

Captain Volc cleared his throat and turned to the small ambush party, placing his hands on his hips and looking up and down the line. Each soldier had replaced their shiny armor with brown leather and black cloaks that would conceal them in the shadows of the mountains as they waited for the so-called 'hero' to pass by, where they would then surprise him and beat him to a bloody pulp. As Volc looked at each of the scarred, greasy, smelly brutes he was about to send out his stomach churned. _Why didn't I keep my mouth shut like the Princess asked me to?_

"Well, you know what you have to do. I just have one command: leave the boy alive." The men grumbled and started to speak up in protest, but Volc held up his hands. "You heard me!" he shouted. "Leave the boy alive! And I mean alive enough that he will recover, not so that he will bleed to death. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Sir!"

"Good. Happy hunting." Volc watched as the men grinned and mounted horses, kicking them into a hurried gallop. According to the border patrol, the hero usually passed through Kakariko to load up on supplies before heading to the castle. This required that he pass through some tall, shadowed mountains on his way to the field, and that was where the ambush party would be waiting for him. One of the archers doubled as a scout to run ahead and keep an eye on the boy's progress so that they would be ready when he passed through.

It was a crude plan, but unfortunately for the shepherd it would work. "It's too bad, really," he mumbled as he walked back inside the town. "He seemed like a good kid."

~ ! # $ % & * ( )

Some mornings Zelda awoke just before dawn to sneak down to the kitchen before the servants arrived and enjoy the pre-morning chill. She sat on a stool near the open back door dressed in a simple blue peasant's gown, with a clay bowl on the counter in front of her. It was filled with her favorite morning meal of sweetened oats and milk, with a touch of honey and some sliced strawberries fresh from her garden. The pre-dawn hours were the only time she would be allowed something so simple, so common.

The princess would make sure to be out of the kitchen and dressed in her royal attire before the servants arrived in a few hours, but for now she leaned her cheek on her hand and swirled her breakfast around with a simple spoon, staring at an empty spot on the counter. The dirty stone floor was cool on her bare feet, and a stray orange barn cat wound around her ankles and licked her toes.

On these quiet mornings the princess felt like she was merely Zelda, a girl, and nothing more. She didn't dwell on matters of policy, royal protocol, or propriety. She didn't worry about the growing restlessness of her country, the dwindling state of their hierarchy, or the long schedule she was to accomplish that day. In the soft glow of a single lit candle, she and the stray animals that wandered into the kitchen enjoyed their breakfast and listed to the songs of the morning birds.

Zelda closed her eyes and inhaled the fragrant air. Oh, the joy held in this brief moment of simple normalcy. She could enjoy the feel of the rough dress swishing about her bare legs, and her un-bound, unadorned hair tickling her cheeks without being badgered by advisors and nobles to act "properly". As much as she loved her country, it was nice to have a few hours of freedom once in a while.

"Excuse me, miss, but what d'ya think you're doin'?" The heavily accented voice of a servant interrupted her quiet reverie. A stout, rotund woman with a rosy face stood in the kitchen doorway that came from the servant's quarters in the castle, slapping a wooden spoon against her palm.

Without turning to face her, Zelda ate the last bite of her oats. "I am merely eating breakfast. You are awake earlier than usual, I believe."

"And a good thing, too, if I do say it. Can't have random strangers wanderin' 'round my kitchen." The woman stepped into the kitchen and waddled toward Zelda. "I'm gonna have to ask ya to leave, miss."

The princess sighed and turned around. "Very well." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.

"Oh!" The woman gasped and covered her mouth with both of her hands as her cheeks turned red. "Your highness! I'm so sorry! Please, stay as long as ya like! I hadn't the fainted clue that you would be down here, alone like this! Oh, please, begin' your pardon Princess!"

Zelda walked over to the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Think nothing of it. It is time for me to leave anyway. I am merely sorry that I was caught." She chuckled, and the cook calmed down. "What is your name?"

"Bernona, your highness. I'm your head cook."

"Bernona? I am sorry that I never met you before. You and your staff do fine work. We have the best meals in the country here at the castle, I can safely boast."

The embarrassed woman did her best curtsey. "Thank ya, your highness!"

Zelda waved her hand. "Ah, it is nothing but the truth. I hope that my morning excursions can be our secret? I do love coming here in the mornings, and it would be bothersome if the advisors found out and I was forced to stop."

"Oh, of course! I won't tell a soul, even if me life depends on it!"

Zelda smiled and chuckled. "My sincerest gratitude, Bernona. I don't know what I would do without a few quiet moments before everyone wakes up."

The cook waddled over to Zelda's bowl and brought it to the sink. "Ah, I understand ya there. That's why I always get up before the sun peeks his head. The castle is right pleasant in the mornin'."

"It is, indeed. Perhaps I will see you again sometime." Bernona curtseyed as Zelda left the room, heading toward the main stairs. It was a pity that her breakfast had been cut short, but the head cook seemed like a stern, yet sweet woman and it was nice to meet her. The princess contemplated this as she walked up the cold steps and snuck into her dressing room through a servant's passage in the wall. She changed from her blue dress into the elaborate royal gown laid out for her, repeatedly glancing out the window to mark the time.

With each piece of golden jewelry and fine fabric, Zelda donned her title of "Princess of Hyrule" and all the duties that came with it. Slipping her stocking-clad feet into a pair of thousand-rupee shoes, she thought of the meetings she had set up that day. Putting her hands into a pair of white silk gloves, she thought of the state of her army and the corruption therein. Resting the golden tiara on her head, she thought of what she needed to say to her people and the preparations that were waiting on a shepherd boy's answer.

Just as Zelda hid the blue dress in the bottom of a chest in her room someone knocked on the door. "This is Forrad, your Majesty, wishing to discuss today's schedule with you."

Zelda closed the chest and locked it, then moved to the chair on the other side of the room. "Yes, please enter."

The elderly man opened the door and shuffled to where the princess sat, taking the seat opposite her. He adjusted the golden half-rimmed glasses that sat on the end of his nose and smiled at Zelda. "Judging by the peaceful look you have about you, I assume you snuck to the kitchen this morning and will not be requiring breakfast?"

Zelda nodded. "Ah, you have known me too long, Forrad. Yes I was, and I met our head cook."

"She's a fierce one, Bernona is!" The two of them chuckled and Forrad shook his head. "Well, let us begin reviewing today's business." He adjusted his glasses and Zelda leaned back in her chair. "You have a meeting with the Gorons and Zoras today that I am sure will take most of the mid-day."

"Oh yes," the Princess nodded. "I will spend the morning preparing for their arrival. Tell me, have you heard from Link yet?"

"No, princess, we have not. But it has been four days and I do need to know what the status of the announcement ceremony is today if we are to begin preparations. I know that you didn't want to start them until we learned the young lad's answer, but we shouldn't delay any longer."

"No, of course you are correct. The people have waited long enough. Have the invitations made up and sent out today. I want two or three leaders from each town, as well as representatives from the Gorons and Zoras. I will write the text of my speech this evening and a copy of that will be sent with each of the leaders and posted on the walls on each town. Do not post those until the day of the announcement, however. I want every citizen to learn at the same time."

Forrad scrawled on his parchment, and then stood and bowed. "I will get these preparations started, your majesty, and meet with you again after your meeting."

"Yes, and thank you Forrad." He left, striding out of the room and closing the door behind him. Frowning, Zelda turned to her window and gazed out over the city to the field beyond. _Please hurry, Link,_ she thought. What would she do if she wasn't able to present him to her people on the day she announced his heroism? It wouldn't reflect well on her or himself. Hopefully it wasn't a situation she would need to address.

~ ! # $ % ^ & ( )

The scout hid in the shadows of the foliage on a ridge near the Ordon boy's house. The morning was cloudy, lending a hazy gray light to the shadows and making the scout's job a little easier. A large horse, known to be the shepherd's mount, stood packed and ready at the base of his ladder, laden down with a harness that tied her to a small wooden cart. The cart was filled to the brim with a large chest, several filled and capped pots, and other items indicative of changing one's place of residence.

The door swung open, its hinges creaking in need of maintenance. The scout crouched more as his prey walked out, carrying one last bundle for the cart and munching on a loaf of bread. He tossed the bundle in the cart and patted the horse's rump, swinging up into the saddle.

"Ready to go, Epona?" The horse tossed her head and huffed out a puff of air. The shepherd rubbed her neck. "Yeah, I'm going to miss Ordon too. Let's get going, I guess." The scout ran along the ridge as these words were spoken, getting ahead of the horse and rider to cross the bridge and locate his own mount, hidden in the field near the gate to Faron Woods.

Knowing that Epona and the Ordonian were going slower than him due to the cart, the scout was able to take a path to the eastern field that wound just around Kakariko without having to go into it. He rode along the side of the east field once he reached it. In the distance, the rest of the ambush party sat around a large fire by the mountains on Kakariko's north side. The scout pulled his horse to an abrupt halt close to them, dirt spraying out from the horse's hooves onto the fire.

"Hey! Watch what you're doin' idiot!" growled one of the swordsman, a man called Ditch. The other swordsman, his twin brother, was called Gulch. The scout didn't know what their real names were, but they always knew what one another was doing and worked perfectly together. The two heavies, Bruno and Boris, had rocks for brains, but there was no one in the army stronger than them. The other archer, his partner, was called Stern.

The scout swung off of his horse and kicked dirt onto the fire, effectively dousing it. "You watch it! We're supposed to be on an ambush mission, not a border patrol!"

Gulch leaned back and sneered up the scout. "Yeah, well we were waitin' for you, Slug."

"My name's Swift, not 'Slug'! Anyway, the kid's comin' so you idiots get rid of all of this and hide up there," he pointed to a collection of large rocks on either side of the path that they could jump down from when the Ordonian passed by. "I'll hide up ahead and watch for him. When I shoot one of these here bomb arrows, you all jump him, got it?"

"Yeah? Who made you captain, eh, Slug?"

Swift grabbed the swordsman by the collar of his uniform, hauling him up off the ground and getting in his face. "I told you, it's Swift. And I don't see any of you lazy idiots coming up with anything better." He tossed him down and walked past the grumbling group, climbing up onto the ridge. He found a spot behind two boulders on the path between Kakariko and the ambush spot and got out his bow, ready to shoot the arrow when the unassuming Ordonian passed by.

The rest of the party cleaned up the debris and hid the horses, and then took their respective hiding spots. The swordsmen whispered to each other until Stern threw rocks at them, at which point they cursed and shut up. The party hid long enough to start shivering from the cold bite of the gray morning through their thin clothes before the scout heard the rumbling bump of the shepherd and his horse.

_He moved faster than I estimated,_ Swift thought, readying his bomb arrow. His gaze followed the boy as he neared the spot just below them, and he aimed the sizzling bomb arrow at him and the horse. The arrow zinged past his ear and hit the Ordonian in the back, exploding upon impact and sending the boy flying from his horse, a pained scream filling the air. Epona reared and neighed, running past her owner and hiding in the field as the ambush party jumped from their hiding spots.

Link lay on his stomach, his back scorched by the fire of the explosion. He could feel the skin bubbling beneath the hot metal chain mail and burned tunic. His ambushers circled around him, sneering and brandishing their respective weapons.

"This is from the General, kid," said one of the burley ax-wielders, raising his weapon above his head and swinging it down on Link, who rolled to the side to avoid it and hit the legs of one of the swordsmen.

"You can't run, boy!" A sword swiped by his head as Link threw himself upward and rolled through the circle of attackers, backing up against the mountain. He started to reach for his sword, but his hand met with nothing but air.

"Lookin' for this?" The swordsman who had swung at him before held up Link's sword and shield, hanging from the belt he hung them on. Apparently he hadn't moved out of the way fast enough because the belt was sliced. The hero balled his hands into fists, narrowing his eyes and crouching down, pacing back and forth in a feral manner. There was a rumbling in the back of his throat, almost like an animalistic growl bubbling up from his gut.

The circle closed in on him, pinning him against the wall. He counted them—two, four, six— paired by weapon and smelling of angry testosterone. The warrior could smell the sweat sliding down their bulging necks, their overconfident jeers filling his ears. Two axes poised to strike. Two swordsmen boasting obscenities. Two bowmen with arrows trained on his unarmed form.

"We have orders to show you what it means to be in the army, kid." It was one of the bowmen who spoke up. A sling of bombs at his side marked him as the one who made the first shot.

"A cheep bunch of cowards who'd rather ambush their enemy and strip him of his weapons rather than defend themselves like men, you mean?" the hero growled, every muscle taunt, his dirty-blond hair falling in his eyes.

The swordsman, Ditch, swung at Link's head. "Stupid kid!" Link ducked to the side and grabbed Ditch's arm, throwing him to the ground just as the other swordsman jabbed at his abdomen and Stern let an arrow fly. The warrior was able to dodge the sword, but the arrow planted itself deep in the deltoid muscle of his arm. Adrenaline pumped through Link's system, blocking the pain he would have otherwise felt. He tore the arrow out of his arm and rolled between Bruno's legs, jabbing it in his inner thigh.

Bruno screamed and bent down to grab the arrow. Using his forward momentum, Link rolled onto his feet and spun around, dodging the swings of the twin swordsmen and grabbing Bruno's shoulders. He vaulted off of the large man, sending the ax-wielder falling backwards as the hero grabbed a protruding stone on the mountain wall and clambered onto the ridge.

Stern stood on this same ridge, with Swift standing opposite him on the other one. Stern shot an arrow at Link, and then dropped his bow and reached for the dagger on his belt. Link ran at him, grabbed his wrist, and twisted, forcing the dagger to drop to the ground and Stern to arc backwards. Link dragged him behind the rock that he had been hiding behind and thrust his elbow into the bowman's face, breaking the cartilage of his nose.

Stern fell onto his knees, holding the broken nose as blood gushed into his hands. Link grabbed the dagger and hit Stern upside the head with its hilt, knocking him unconscious. Arrows clanked against the rocks to either side of him, and the four soldiers down below were shouting at each other trying to get onto the ridge. Link pushed Stern's unconscious form out to the edge and then pushed it over the side with his foot.

One of the ax-wielders caught him and set him to the side. Link nodded to himself; he only wanted to incapacitate them, not to kill them. Another arrow nearly planted itself in his leg, turning the hero's attention to the nuisance on the other ridge. Quickly measuring the gap with his eyes, Link stood and ran along the stretch of flat rock, building his momentum, and then pivoted on the wall and ran straight for the gap.

Pushing with both feet off the edge of the ridge, his speed carried him through the air. He landed on the other side, rolled, and stood up right in Swift's face. The scout's eyes widened, and before he could reach for any of his weapons one of Link's fists jabbed into his stomach, the other slamming into his head.

The hero caught him as he slumped over and checked to make sure he was alive, then hoisted him over his shoulders and walked to the edge of the cliff. Down below, the four who were left were trying to climb on top of each other to reach him. Link whistled at them and lifted Swift's body up.

"I believe this is yours, gentlemen!" He tossed the unconscious Swift at them, where Boris caught him and threw him down next to Stern. The swordsmen spun their weapons in the air in a cocky manner that suggested a challenge. Link ran along the ridge and leapt off of it, rolling once he hit the ground to break his fall. By the time he stood and turned around, Ditch and Gulch were already upon him, with the ax-wielders not far behind.

The hero jumped to the side and parried the nearest swordsman's blade with the dagger, flipped backwards to avoid the swipe of the other swordsman, and then rolled around them and sliced upwards, digging a deep gash in Gulch's back. Gulch screamed and spun around, and the hero threw an uppercut at the underside of his jaw, which sent him flying backwards. The swordsman landed on ground hard, moaning with pain, and didn't get back up.

Link ducked just in time to avoid the swing of Butch's stone ax. Ditch ran to check on Gulch, but the hero grabbed him by the back of his shirt and held him in the path of Butch's backswing. The square, stone ax-head ripped him from Link's hands and planted him in the side of the mountain.

"Oops…sorry!" Butch said as unconscious swordsman fell to the ground. Butch turned his attention to Link. "You made me hit him!" he roared, swinging his ax down on Link. Link rolled to the side and came back up, running toward the wall. Boris swung at him, planting his ax into the rock. Link ran faster and used his momentum to run up onto the wall, running sideways along it long enough to bypass Butch, and then pushed off and barreled straight into Boris's stomach.

The ax flew straight up from Boris's hands into the air as the large ax-wielder landed flat on his back. Link rolled to the side just as the ax fell down and the flat of it hit Boris's head.

Crouched on all fours, Link breathed hard and shifted his gaze to Bruno. "Five down, one to go," he murmured. Bruno roared, his face red, and lifted the ax above his head. Link flipped backwards and waited until it hit the ground, then he jumped up and jabbed the dagger into Bruno's left arm.

When the hero turned around to face Bruno, the large man was screaming and clutching his arm. The dagger was protruding out the other side of it. "HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH?" Link shouted, grabbing Gulch's sword off of the ground. In response, Bruno swung the ax at Link with his healthy arm, yelling as loud as he could. Link rolled under it, jabbed the sword through Bruno's good arm, and then yanked it out. The large man dropped his ax and doubled over, dropping to his knees with his arms hanging limp at his sides.

Panting, Link backed away from the scene and looked around. Two of the men groaned in pain, blood pouring out onto the ground near them, and the other four were unconscious. Link picked up his sword and shield off of the ground and walked over to the conscious swordsman who still had use of his arms. The hero stood over him, hands on his hips.

"Take that message to the scum who sent you." Link said, stepping over him and heading toward the field to find his mount. He paused a few yards away and turned. "There's milk and doctors in town. They'll heal you and your dishonorable allies," he said. "One word that's not the truth about this ambush and I'll hunt you down. I might not be feeling so generous next time." Gulch just groaned in response. Slinging the broken belt over his shoulder, Link ran to Epona and headed toward Hyrule Castle.

**Author's Note**: Hello readers! So, you all surprised me with how fast you responded! I hadn't even written this chapter yet by the time you all made this story reach 100 reviews. Sorry for the delay in getting this out! Finals hit, and then packing to move back home for the summer. Anyway, here it is!

The type of movement Link used in this chapter is actually a sport called "Parkour" (also known as "Free Running"). If you're having a hard time picturing it, believing it, or if you just want to know more about it, then go to my livejournal. There's a link to it on my profile. There is an entry titled "The Hero of Wolves: Chapter Six" and has links to my two favorite Parkour videos (on youtube.) You can leave comments there without registering for an account.

Thanks for reading and please review!

_-The Wolfess_


	8. Wolf in the Garden

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Seven: Wolf in the Garden**

"I'm afraid the princess is in a meeting, Sir. You may not see her at this time."

Link glared at the guards blocking the door to the throne room. "You don't understand," he said, keeping his voice calm. "this is very important. The princess is waiting for me and I have something urgent to speak with her about."

"You can not go inside. There are no exceptions."

A red color came into Link's neck, his hands curling into fists as his voice rose. "I will see her one way or another, and you can do nothing to stop me!"

The guards pointed the ends of their spears at him, bracing themselves, and Link reached for the hilt of his sword.

The door banged open and Forrad stepped into the hall. "What is the noise out here?" he demanded. The guard began to explain, but when the old advisor's eyes saw Link he cried out and stepped past them, waving away their pointed spears. "Sir Link! The princess has been eagerly awaiting your arrival! You must come into the throne room at once to see her."

"Thank you," Link said, bowing slightly and then turning a wolfish grin to the guards when Forrad turned his back. The hero filed in behind Forrad and stood at the door, his right hand on his hip and his left holding the broken belt that his sword and shield were hanging from. Princess Zelda sat in the same chair she was in when he last saw her, King Ralis and Darbus sitting opposite her with their respective guards nearby. Parchments littered the desk between them, their heads bent over figures, damage reports, death tolls, and treaties.

"Pardon my intrusion, your Highnesses," Forrad said, bowing low to them. "Sir Link of Ordona Province has arrived and wishes to speak with her majesty."

Zelda looked up, her eyes locking onto Link's, and a smile smoothed her stressed features. She addressed the Zora and Goron leaders. "Do you mind, gentlemen, if he interrupts us for a moment?"

"Of course not," said Ralis. "The Zora people and myself owe him a great debt. It is my joy to see him again."

"Same here, little human! Our brother is welcome anytime!" Link walked past the advisor, approaching the throne. He started to bow to them, but Darbus grabbed his shoulder with a large Goron hand and hoisted him up, lifting his boots slightly off the floor in the process. "You don't bow to us, Brother!"

"Yes," agreed King Ralis. "We must insist."

As Link addressed her two royal guests, Princess Zelda took notice of the broken belt, appearing to have been sliced by a sword, and the hero's own sweaty, disheveled condition. A feeling in her gut told her that something was very wrong, and it was not a report she wanted the Goron and Zora leaders to hear. To them, it was her duty to remain a strong force worthy of their allegiance and she couldn't afford for reports of her county's rapidly declining social condition leaking to them.

"You look horrible, Brother! What happened?" Darbus said.

The Hero opened his mouth to answer, but caught the worried glint in Zelda's eyes. Clearing his throat, he shrugged his shoulders instead, replying "just some training with a few swordsman friends. Got a little out of hand, you know how those things go."

The large Goron laughed. "Yes! Wrestling matches frequently mean room repairs for us Gorons! We keep the tools ready every time we practice!" Accepting his answer, they talked for a little while more before the Princess intervened.

"Link," she walked around the table and stood next to the hero, facing Ralis and Darbus. "You have come with great timing. We have been speaking all morning and were just about to finalize our discussion." Zelda turned and motioned for Forrad to come to her. She leaned over and spoke softly in the old advisor's ear so that only he could hear. "Please escort him to my private study. I wish for only you and Ikal to be present for this meeting."

Forrad bowed. "Yes, Princess. Right away." He bowed to Link. "Please follow me, Sir Link, and her Highness will join us shortly." Link nodded and followed, his eyes lingering on those of the Princess as the door was closed between them.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Link waited in the small study with Forrad for almost a half hour before Princess Zelda entered. Her cheeks were flushed and strands of auburn hair stuck out at random points, giving her a flustered look. She shoved the door shut behind her and thrust the large iron lock into place.

"I have sent the guards away and locked the door. The only ones who will be privy to this meeting, in accordance with Royal Protocol, will be Forrad, my advisor and most trusted friend, and Ikal of the Sheikah people, my personal bodyguard." Link was about to ask where Ikal was, and then a panel in the wall opened and an oddly dressed woman slid into the room and stood beside the advisor. Link watched her with narrowed eyes for a moment before turning his attention back to the princess. "I apologize for keeping you so long, Link. I rushed the meeting as fast as I could, and then protocol demanded a million tasks be completed…well, let us say that it has been frustrating and leave it at that."

A second chair had been brought in before the princess's arrival, so Zelda and Link sat down across from one another and the two witnesses took up post near the door. Link slung his sword and shield up onto the desk, sending papers scattering onto the floor, and leaned forward slightly. Blue eyes bored into those of the princess, anger and irritation sweltering in their wolfish depths. Zelda's fingers tightened on the arms of her chair, but she didn't break eye contact. Seeming satisfied, Link leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest.

"A group of soldiers from your army ambushed me on my way to return here. Just outside of Kakariko. Dealing with them was no problem. I left them alive," he added, seeing the question in her eyes. "What is the meaning of this?"

Zelda sighed and rubbed her eyes with her hand. "I am so terribly sorry, Link. The guard present at our last meeting broke protocol and reported our entire conversation to the current general. It was he, I suspect, that sent those men. I fear that, in its current state, the first loyalty of Hyrule's army is not to me."

"Who is he?"

"General Gorkenheim. He is a fowl man with no sense of morality or justice. Or of cleanliness, for that matter. He stays in office merely because taking him out would cause the entire army to turn against me…it was my _father_," she spoke the word with a hint of disdain, "who set him as general in the first place."

"Gorkenheim…" Link growled the name, staring out the window behind Zelda for a moment, and the princess knew that the fowl man she so wished to imprison for life would get what he was due.

"You said you were on your way back here," Zelda said, folding her hands in her lap. "May I ask why?"

The warrior blinked and cleared his throat, shaking his head. "Yes. I was, yeah. I just wanted to accept your proposal…I guess that it's a bigger job than I expected."

"Does that sway your decision?" She asked.

"No," Link shook his head. "Of course not. All the better—more of a challenge, and more cocky soldiers to put in their place."

Zelda let out a sigh of relief and relaxed against the back of her chair. "You have no idea how glad my heart is to hear you say this. You are my only hope…once again. Hero, I fear that this task will be quite different than the one appointed you by the Goddesses."

Link smiled a bitter smile and chuckled. "No, it's just another part of it, that's all. Who said that my destiny ended when Ganondorf was destroyed?"

Zelda inclined her head. "Very true. And here I was under the impression that wisdom was _my_ gift…thank you for correcting me." She reached down to the papers on the floor and gathered them up, shuffling them around and putting them in some order. Laying them over his equipment, she continued. "We will just need to sign and go over a few of these papers to make it official and to put the technical processes into motion. I mentioned before that you will receive the training you need…here is a pictograph of your new teacher. I daresay that you may have met him on your journey…he would have been spearheading some sort of resistance, I'm sure."

Link looked down at the picture and gasped. "Auru!"

"So you do know him? He was Hyrule's old general, before he retired and my father replaced him with Gorkenheim. Auru has no desire to live a noble's life, so he wanders and searches out answers to mysteries that were lost with time. Here is the time and place of your first training session."

They signed and went over a lot of paperwork, which covered official details that Link was grateful to have a heads up on. His quick mind soaked it all in, taking into account what information seemed necessary and what didn't. If there was one thing he had learned on his adventure, it was everything you learned or found would come in handy sometime later. The princess and the hero ended their conversations with a meeting set two weeks out to discuss his progression, and Link left the castle straight for the inn with a slight bounce in his step.

By this time the orange glow of twilight was setting into the land of Hyrule. His mind buzzing with plans and worries, the hero took his time walking to Telma's bar, where he would rest at night until the princess found a place for him to call home. He took the back allies to avoid the watchful eyes of the crowd, and ducked into a little-known clothing shop that specialized in the travelers' apparel he preferred, where he purchased a replacement belt and a long, brown hooded cloak. Both of these he put on immediately, hiding in the shadows of the cloak as he exited back into the streets.

Having taken his time in the shop, it was now early dark and most of Hyrule's citizens were safe inside their homes preparing for sleep. Crowds of night gossipers and thieves huddled in their usual corners of the city, and Link slowed to hear what they were talking about. As he suspected most of it was about him. _I might as well get used to this, _he thought, pulling the cloak tighter about his shoulders. Rounding a corner, the door of a nearby house slammed open in his face. Giggling and odd smells issued from inside, and a large, smelly, hairy man tumbled out. It was very obvious that he was intoxicated.

"Come back, General! Don't leave yet!"

The gorilla man laughed and threw some rupees through the doorway. "Ah, lay off me wallet, ya leech. I'll be back tomorrow, ya know." He rammed Link in the shoulder as he passed by, knocking Link a few steps backward and causing the hood to fall off of his head. The door closed, bathing the two men in shadow. General Gorkenheim turned, his hands curling into fists as his dilated eyes fell on the boy who was to be his replacement. "You…" He growled. "You knocked into me! How dare you!"

"And who are you that you are above accidents?" Link crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight onto one leg, looking at the man with blue eyes ablaze.

"The General of the Army, fool!" Gorkenheim puffed out his hairy chest.

Link laughed. "Thank the Goddesses that the princess is replacing _you_ with _me_! I'd heard you were pathetic and in need of lessons on personal hygiene, but this is far worse than I imagined, _General_."

"You'd do best to keep your tongue, boy!" Gorkenheim took a few steps closer.

"Or you'll what? Throw rupees at me? Breathe your foul-smelling breath in my face?" Link stepped up to the general. Their noses were almost touching. "Tell me," Link went on, his voice hushed, "when the enemy's forces arrived and started killing half of your troops, how long did it take you to run as far away as you could?"

Gorkenheim growled, his teeth grinding and his jaw muscles bulging. "The men will never respect you, and neither will this country! You may have that foolish woman calling herself our queen wrapped around your finger, but you will never fool my men or the people of Hyrule!"

"We'll just see about that. If they've followed a boar like _you_ all these years, they must be very easy to fool."

Gorkenheim turned and stalked away, pausing to turn around and yell obscenities back at Link. The eyes watching from behind curtains in the ally receded, and Link pulled the hood back over his face. He nearly sprinted to Telma's Bar, his body shaking with anger.

He took his hood off as he entered the warmth of the bar and closed the door behind him. Conversations paused and people shot him looks out of the corners of their eyes, a few people getting up to leave with murmurs of "if this bar serves people like _him_, I'll go somewhere else." Telma, on the other hand, greeted him with enthusiasm and poured him a glass of milk.

"Hey there, sugar! I hear lots of stories about you lately. That's nothing new though, is it?"

Link smiled, feeling himself calm at the sight of a friendly face, and sat down, taking a grateful gulp of his drink. "Yeah, that's the truth. Looks like I'll be living in castle town from now on, Telma. There's someone getting me a house to stay in, but can I stay in your back room until then?"

"Of course ya can, honey!" She set about wiping down glasses and setting them on the shelf. "Oh yeah, I just heard from Auru not too long ago. Postman's in the corner over there. Anyway, the old coot said to tell you he'd be by tomorrow in the afternoon to start ya off. Whatever that means. And how he knew you'd be comin' in tonight…well, you'll have to fill me in on all of this, honey. We bound together during the war, all of us. We can't start keeping secrets from each other now, huh?"

Link took a long gulp of milk to hide the guilty look in his eye. "Yeah, of course."

A group of angry looking men strode toward the counter. "Looks like I'll have to take care of this riff raff, honey, so you pardon me and make yourself at home." Telma came out from behind the bar as the men pointed at Link and started yelling. A few large men came over, obviously bouncers, and stood on either side of the men as the barkeep yelled back.

The hero took this as his cue to leave, and took his drink into the back room. He finished it, dumped his stuff on the floor next to the bed, and collapsed on the mattress. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was asleep and descending into troubled dreams.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Link woke up with a jolt, his hand jerking toward his weapon, to find a dagger in his eyes and a hand over his mouth. He squinted in the soft glow that came from the other hand of his assailant, waiting for them to focus. He recognized her from their meeting earlier that day as Ikal, Princess Zelda's personal bodyguard.

"Be still, Hero, and please do not speak." She removed her hand from his mouth and lowered her dagger, backing away a few paces. "I apologize for the rude awakening. I had to be sure that you would both be silent, and not attack me out of reflex. There are many warriors in my village who react the same way to surprise, myself included." She bowed, her red eyes staying on his face. "I have been sent by her Majesty to deliver a message. She wishes to meet you in the royal gardens on the right side of the castle immediately."

Link nodded, sitting up in his bed and placing his feet on the floor, boots still on. He had been so tired and frustrated that he hadn't bothered to undress. Ikal returned the nod and put her light out. "It is essential that you not be seen" she said. A bright light flashed, Link covered his eyes, and she was gone.

"What's this all about?" He murmured. He yawned and stood up, going to the small window. The best way to not be seen was to crawl out this window onto the roof and to travel by rooftop through the city. He moved a heavy chest underneath the window and stood on it, pushing the window out. It was just big enough that he could squeeze through and, using the wall of the building opposite as leverage, shimmy up onto the rooftop.

Being too heavy, tall, and loud in general to travel unnoticed on people's ceilings, he reached into the pouch on his belt and took out the wolf stone, careful not to touch skin as he tied it around his neck. Fastened properly, he touched it with a forefinger and closed his eyes. By now the transformation was a blissful feeling, almost like brushing the hand of a lover in a crowded room.

The wolf could jump farther than the Hylian could. Navigating the rooftops, Link thought of the princess and wondered why she was summoning him like this. He doubted that the people of Hyrule would approve of it, specifically the advisors, who were so strict on protocol it seemed. Whatever the reason, he had questions of his own that he was burning to ask.

Getting through the gates to the main castle was a little bit trickier than jumping over rooftops. Luckily the guards were as lazy as always, and had wandered away to stand in a circle and talk to each other in front of the first gate, leaving it wide open for a darkly colored wolf to slip past. The second gate, which led to the castle courtyard, he pushed against with his shoulders until it slid open enough to squeeze through. A glance back at the guards showed that they remained as oblivious as ever, and the silent canine entered the garden, stepping into the shadows as he sniffed the ground. The scent his keen nose soon found seemed very familiar for having spent so little time with its owner.

The fragrance of the princess wafted off of the grass, filling his senses. He breathed it in deep, trotting in the shadows of the hedge rows with dew-covered grass crunching beneath his large, cracked paws. The softness of the grass and the moisture of forming liquid against the pads of his paws was so soothing to the wolf, who had been running over hard wood and stone for what seemed to be a long time, for fear of getting caught in wolf form by someone he knew if he walked freely through the land. Truth be told, he feared that if he escaped into the wilderness, he might never return.

In the distance he saw her form. Though darkness covered the details, he somehow knew the outline of her in the dark, as if he had gazed upon her all his life from afar. Bathed in the silver moonlight, she leaned against a tree and spoke beneath her breath. The wolf crept through the shadows, hiding from view while his eyes and his senses took in this strange woman to whom he seemed to be bound. Unseen in his stealthy hiding spot, he listened to her.

"…my Goddesses, grant me wisdom…to you I commend my Kingdom, my life, and my heart. I am naught but your maidservant, and I wait for your word to guide me…"

Her voice trailed away, and the princess leaned her head back against the tree. Link turned his ears forward, his nose twitching, his fur catching on the branches of the bush he was crouched in. She started speaking again:

"O beast, O brute, in shadow you come  
with eyes so blue. The beings you rue  
await your snapping twig.  
O beast, O brute, your heart's not numb;  
do you cry during the hunter's pursuit?  
Do you feel the arrows they shoot?  
O beast, O brute, your eyes on me  
burn so. What have I done to you?  
Will you not abandon your shadows and tell me?"

Zelda had opened her eyes and was looking through the dark and the bushes straight at the hidden wolf. Link hoisted his head tall and curled his tail upward, stepping out of the bushes with pride and elegance. The princess merely smiled and inclined her head. "That was a poem written by one of my ancestors, a great Hyrulian queen. I know not of whom she spoke, but I believe it, in my heart, to be a tragic tale. Hero, thank you for coming. I assure you that we are quite alone now, and so you have nothing to fear. We are both under the protection of shadow here."

The wolf seemed to nod. He walked over to the princess and sat by her side, turning his head to reveal where the collar that held the wolf stone in place was loosely tied. Understanding, she pulled the knot and withdrew it from his neck, holding it away from him and examining it with an inquisitive gaze as the wolf beside her transformed into a fully clothed and armed man.

"The stone. Please." Taking it from her outstretched hand, Link slid it in his pouch and fastened it shut.

"Your eyes," Zelda said. "I feel as if there is a wolf still staring at me. They seem to be your one feature that changes the least."

Link chuckled a bit. "No, your Majesty. I think it is my mind that changes the least."

"Please, Link…Please address me as Zelda. I spend the bulk of my days serving a country whose allegiance is to my crown and not to me…must I always be chained to gold finery and titles?"

"I'm sorry Zelda."

The princess waved her hand in the air, looking up at the stars. "No, forgive me for my irritability." She sighed. "I do not know why the Goddesses chose you and I to possess pieces of the Triforce. What their plan could be…who can guess unless they tell us? Truth be told, my heart grows weary, Link. I sometimes wonder why I fight for this country at all when I long for a quiet moment when I am not defined by my title, but rather by who I am. And yet I know that who I am is tied to Hyrule, heart and soul." She rubbed her forehead. "I apologize…there is little to smile about these days, and for some reason I feel as if I know you better than I really do."

Link stretched out his legs and leaned back against the tree, looking up at the same stars and smiling. "I know the feeling…a wolf is called a monster, no matter how gentle it is. There is a man in Ordon named Rusl who is like a father to me. After I was turned and escaped from Hyrule castle, I needed a sword so that I could be transformed back into a Hylian. I went to get it from him. After everything that had happened, my heart was still the same, and all I wanted to do was curl up by Uli's feet and cry as best as a wolf can…no tear ducts and all. Instead, I came close and he attacked me."

"That must have been horrible."

Link nodded. "It was. I think that the first time I killed was even worse. No matter how evil the creature was, it couldn't help being that way. I imagine that when you're called something from the moment you're born, you eventually become what everybody says you are."

"Very true." Zelda looked at Link. "Thank you for coming. There is so much that needs to be discussed, and so little of it that we can discuss with others around. Sadly, being alone with a commoner, especially a male warrior, is forbidden under protocol."

"I gathered as much." Link nodded. "I was wondering…what is this 'Triforce' you speak of? I have never heard of it."

"Forgive me! I forget that only royalty learn the ancient legends in this age. The golden power of the goddesses of which Ganondorf spoke- that is the Triforce." She lifted her hand, showing him the mark of the goddesses there. It almost looked like it had been tattooed. "This is the mark of the triforce. Only those who possess one of its three parts have this mark…and only the three destined can possess it. You and I possess the pieces of Courage and Wisdom, respectively."

"And the last piece…Ganondorf had it."

Zelda nodded. "Yes. The Triforce of Power. I know something about how and why the Triforce was split… but not much. The documents have been lost with time it seems."

"There is so much about all of this that I don't know, but it seems that my life is tied to it anyway."

"Yet there is still so much you _do_ know, Link. You have lived a life that few could ever imagine. I imagine that you know more about my kingdom than I do, for though I know of many of its various secrets through stories and tales passed to me by my late mother and learned from books, you know the same things with your very eyes. What you must have seen…the tales you must be able to tell. You actively embody the legends that I know only in my mind. You have lived the stories of the great Hero that my mother told me as bedtime stories. Action, partnered with wisdom, does mighty things. And wisdom doesn't always come from knowledge."

Link grunted, absently ripping up small tuffs of grass at his side. For a few moments they sat in silence, listening to their own thoughts. The hero grabbed a particularly large tuff of grass and threw it toward the bushes. "Action is bloody."

Zelda nodded, picking at some loose strings on her dress, a lilac purple dress with some simple lace tonight.

Link half turned to face her, peering at her face for a few moments before speaking. "I've lost count of how many I've killed. I've killed them in countless ways…even with my own teeth, as a wolf. I bit into their jugular vein in their throat and felt the blood trickle into my mouth. They call me a Hero…I don't feel like one. Each day passes with no more war, no more evil to defeat, and I feel no better than Ganondorf himself. King Bulbin and I have more in common than we know. Both of us were simply trying to survive and make the best life possible for our people. I'm no hero…I'm a monster."

Link ran both of his hands through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut tight. The princess smiled sadly and patted his back, her eyes clouded. "Hero…Princess…what are they but titles that are put on us by others so that no one actually has to know us? They can honor and revere us from afar without ever caring about our hearts, our souls. Our burden." She paused, folding her hands in her lap. "I may never have killed anyone with my own hands, but many have died because of my wrong decisions. Today I calculated how many dead we have from the war…the number rises every morning as the reports trickle in. Some are dead, some missing, some are injured beyond healing and will be paralyzed for life. All of this was my fault…"

Link interrupted her. "But you had no choice! It was either surrender Hyrule or be killed yourself, and that would have guaranteed the end of the free world!"

Zelda smiled. "Exactly! You may not feel like a hero, Link, just as I do not feel like a ruler, but if it wasn't for your actions, no matter how bloody, the world would have ended anyway. It needed you…needed your sword." She held her hand down between them, looking at the triforce. "We may not understand the plans of the Divine for our lives, but they do exist…a plan for each of us, written before we were born, with love, care, and perfection. And the Goddesses watch over us every day, making sure that the plan is followed. Nothing happens that wasn't in the plan from the beginning, and all of their plans will work out for good."

Link had never thought about it like that before. He smiled at Zelda as a peace seeped into his heart and spread through his being, like a gulp of Great Fairy Tears. He held out his hand to her. "Hi, I'm Link. I like drawing, animals, and swordplay. I'm not always very good with talking, and I daydream too much, which is why Uli tells me that I don't bathe enough. 'You smell like a wet dog!' she says."

Zelda laughed and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you! I'm Zelda. I like early mornings, reading, and tricking my guards. Growing up, I'd sneak off and hide in trees or under bridges, small places where I couldn't be found. Mother said that dirt found me more than the guards did, and that it was a good thing that my long, puffy dresses hid the scrapes and bruises all over my knees. I still get antsy when I sit still for too long."

Link grinned, crossing his legs and putting his hands on his knees. "A tomboy eh? And here I thought you were another one of those porcelain-doll-like girls. Whenever a girl grows up in a city she gets that way, as if getting dirt on her shoes will make her die or something."

Zelda laughed, shifting to sit on her knees. "I know! It sickens me! All of the noble girls are like that, so I never could make friends with them. They just sat around and talked about makeup, dresses, and cute noble boys. It was terribly boring! Then I met Ikal, and she was my first real friend. She's not a porcelain girl either."

"So you two grew up together?"

Zelda nodded. "More or less. She saves me from the monotony of this restricting, boring noble life. I'm so sick of protocol, you have no idea."

"I can imagine. It's already driving me nuts and I haven't even been around for long. So…why not 'queen' Zelda? I've been wondering about that."

Zelda sighed and rolled her eyes. "Protocol of course. A woman cannot be the full ruler of the country, and given the title of queen, unless she marries. It's a very biased system that I'm trying to do away with."

Link shrugged. "So why don't you marry some guy? Surely there are plenty."

"HA! They're all snobby noblemen or crude soldiers. None of them are fit to rule my country."

Link chuckled. "Yeah, and none of them seem fit to have won your affections either. Do I sense an Ice-Queen?" His tone was playful, and the princess took it in stride, sticking her nose in the air.

"Yes, well, perhaps the icy queens of history had it correct and no man is worthy of a crown. _Your kind_ is far too power hungry! I am not a conquest, like a large buck killed on a hunt."

Link crossed his arms over his chest, grinning. "Your head wouldn't look good on a wall anyway. It would clash with the colors of a hunter's trophy room."

"Well, there we have it! We can't have clashing colors, now can we? The noble women would all have heart attacks! I suppose that I shall forever remain celibate."

"Always a Princess, never a Queen! Darn those colors."

They held straight faces for a few moments, and then both of them burst out in laughter.

"HEY! I HEARD SOMETHING OVER THERE!"

"That must be why the door was open! INTRUDER!"

Link and Zelda stopped laughing, the distant yells of the guards reaching their ears. They both stood up, Link bringing out the wolf stone and tying it around his neck, careful not to touch the stone to his skin.

Zelda turned to him. "It looks like this is where our meeting ends."

Link nodded. "Looks like it. Are you going to be okay, Zelda? Can I help you somehow?"

Zelda grinned and winked at him, moving around the tree to a wall and pushing it open. "I've been escaping from them since I was five. You worry about yourself, hero!"

Link laughed, then stopped and called out to her as she disappeared in the hidden entrance. "Wait! When will I see you next?"

Zelda stuck her head out. "Either at our appointed time, or I will send Ikal to you. Hurry! Get out of here!" The wall closed behind her, leaving behind no trace that there was anything strange about it. Link spun around. The clanking of armor sounded very close by. He touched the wolf stone, transforming into his canine self and disappearing

**Author's Note**: So, it's been a while hasn't it? Such is working over the summer. Around work and a social life, who has time for sleep, let alone anything else? Such is life. I'll try to be better, but don't be surprised if it takes a while to get chapters out. I'm getting into my upper division classes and have 19 textbooks that I need to read this semester, in addition to homework, work, leadership at church, a social life, a prayer life, and other stuff. I'm sure you ALL know how it goes! School can suck, huh? But it's fun, none the less!

Just know that I haven't forgotten you all! The Hero of Wolves stayed up on my laptop screen all summer, even while I was sleeping, the little cursor blinking at me in an annoying fashion, as if saying "Hey, you! Move me! There's people waiting!"

Well, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Let me know what you think!

_-The Wolfess_


	9. The Announcement Ceremony

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Eight: The Announcement Ceremony**

Ten golden trumpets blasted into the air, their blue Hyrule National banners ruffling in a strong wind that blew over the crowd. Several hundred civilians had shown up for the announcement, all representing some town, interest group, or rouges with no affiliation, as well as the whole nobility of Hyrule seated in plush chairs in the front of the assembly. Zelda was dressed in her finest, the picture of perfect royalty, and her palms were sweating stains through her gloves. She knew that Ikal was somewhere hiding in the shadows, the woman's red eyes watchful and protective, and that knowledge gave her some comfort. Not that the princess was afraid of speaking—she had done it many times before—what she feared was the reaction of her people to the announcement she was to make today. At least the wind was blowing in a way that would carry her voice to everyone, though she put a man in the back with a copy of the speech in case her voice didn't carry properly.

A large stage had been set up on the front steps of the still-ruined castle, people filling all corners of the gardens and trampling all the plants. Zelda stood just inside the big wooden doors running her speech through her head, while Link stood not far off, looking rather sickly. _He must be so nervous,_ she thought. A few days ago, after speaking with him formally about the announcement ceremony, he had asked many questions about what would be said and what was expected of him, and then he asked for the name of a tailor so he could buy something respectable to wear, saying that appearance was often all that mattered with a first impression. Amused at his attention to this small, but vital detail, Zelda gave him the name of her personal tailor and some recommendations of popular styles for Hyrulian men that might flatter him. The warrior was currently wearing a white tunic with silver embroidery around the edges in ivy-like patterns, black underclothes, a nice pair of black leather boots, and fine, decorative yet practical silver armor adorned with sapphires and emeralds. Apparently he had insisted that it be in the same style of the green tunic he usually wore, including that odd sock-like hat. She also noticed a different sword sticking out from behind his shield. Having delivered the Ordon Sword, as was his original assignment prior to the chaos that ensued, Link had needed a sword to replace it with. The weapon in question looked very similar to the Master Sword, but in shades of green instead of blue. The princess couldn't help but smile in approval at his practical, but deceptively decorative, choice of attire for this occasion.

When the trumpets faded, a short, rotund man in uniform marched out and yelled over the crowd with a voice that was surprisingly loud. Perhaps the bulk of his weight made up for the shortness of his stature, she couldn't tell. He announced her title and other official garble that Zelda had learned to tune out a long time ago, and then she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, exhaled, and stepped up onto the stage. Moving to the edge of it, she looked out over her people and a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"My dear people of Hyrule—it is a joy to my heart to see you standing here. As I look out over this crowd I see many wonderful faces I know, and I am glad that you came today. However, I also know many faces that are not here, and will never be here again. I grieve for them with you, my people. I know each and every name. I have memorized each one—it is my obligation to do so, because it was partially my fault that they are not with us. Most of the town of Kakariko has passed into the Sacred Realm…our esteemed Mr. Renado, one of the few survivors, is here with us today to represent them. The Zora people have also suffered a great loss—their queen was taken from them during the war, passed into the Sacred Realm as well. As Hyrule's sole Monarch, I extend my condolences and friendship to King Ralis and the Zora people. Both King Ralis and Darbus, leader of the Goron people, are here today to show their support of Hyrule."

Zelda paused, taking a moment to breathe and gather her thoughts. "People of Hyrule, I know that many of you didn't know if a war was really going on or not, and just as many of you saw too much of the war and suffered greatly. Our country of Hyrule was invaded by an army from another world, controlled by a madman named King Zant of the Twili. He was not a true king, however—he had overthrown the monarch of his own people, out of greed and a hunger for power, using unnatural magic. With that magic he transformed his people into monsters, which you know as the large, black twilight beasts that ravaged your towns and killed your loved ones. Zant was being controlled by a powerful, ancient sorcerer-thief named Ganondorf from a hundred years ago that bore a magic unparalleled and unmatched in this age—we were unprepared to combat such magic.

"I am ashamed to say that we were completely unprepared for anything that might have come against us. My father, the late King of Hyrule, enjoyed the perks of his station, the flashiness of protocol, and splendor more than he loved you. He wanted the prestige that came with the title of King, but avoided the responsibilities. Poor families in Hyrule have been getting poorer, as rich families have been getting richer. My father enforced protocol that made even the simplest changes take so long that it was pointless to even try, so the financial, moral, and economic state of Hyrule declined. He passed on the crown to me at his death, which was shortly before the war began. I had no time to change things—Hyrule was at its weakest point, and ripe for attack. We were defenseless."

Zelda bowed her head and crossed her hands over her heart. "On behalf of my father, and the entire Royal Family of Hyrule I apologize to you. I plan to do away with the red tape that blocks change in Hyrule. I will raise Hyrule from its knees and make it a proud, powerful nation once again. We will be a force to reckon with, and I will start this revival today. You see, beloved Hylians, our country of Hyrule was rescued by one man. Called upon by the goddesses and endowed with the courage of Farore, a man came up out of Ordona Province who did not submit to the dark beasts. He was able to stand up to the evil in this land like no one else could. He saved the town Kakariko and its people. He saved the Goron people and their leader, calming the volcano by destroying the evil within its depths. He saved the life of King Ralis and freed the Zora from their icy prison. He faced King Bulbin time and time again, until he earned the monster king's respect with his shows of strength, and all of the Bulbin warriors left our land. To list all of the people he has saved, the evils he has destroyed, and the places he went to save us would take all day. This Ordonian man even saved me from the evil desires of Ganondorf and Zant. He rescued me from their clutches and killed them both with his own hands. Of course, there have been plenty of people who have aided him on his journey, and to them also we are grateful.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Gorons and Zoras, I present to you today your savior—Link Shepherd of Ordona Province, Hero of Hyrule."

A roar went up from the crowd that made the whole stage shake. Zelda stepped aside and beckoned Link to join her on the stage. An embarrassed blush had crept up from the black collar of his shirt, turning his neck and ears red, as he swallowed hard and walked out to the edge of the state. Upon seeing him, the crowd went more wild, almost seeming to thrash about as people jumped up and down and climbed on top of each other to get a glimpse of him. They had suspected it—but to hear it confirmed by their princess was a big deal. All traces of suspicion fled from their minds, replaced by ecstatic joy. This was their hero, this was their savior, this was their deliverer! What a happy day in Hyrule!

Zelda stepped forward again and held up her hands for silence, waiting for the crowd to hush, and then turned to Link, who looked redder than ever. "People of Hyrule! As the only person in our land who was able to defeat the darkness in our borders, I have appointed to him the task of teaching our army everything he knows. The army of Hyrule will be an unshakable, powerful force with him at its head! Do you agree? Do you want this man—your hero—to lead your men in arms to victory and glory?" A roar of approval went up from the crowd. "And do you also agree with me that we should honor this man's service with a title as well—officially giving him the prestige he already wields amongst you? Has he earned this?" Another approving roar went up from the crowd. Guards filed in front of the stage to keep people off of it in their excitement. Zelda grinned and turned to Link. "The people of Hyrule have spoken. Link of Ordona Province, would you please kneel?" He went down on one knee and lowered his head, putting his fist over his heart. She drew his sword from its sheath, as was custom in ancient Hyrulian ritual, and tapped his right shoulder, left shoulder, and the top of his head with it—forming the sign of the triforce.

"Do you, Link, swear to uphold the standards of excellence laid down in the ancient codes of Knighthood? To enact honor, justice, and mercy at all times, and to maintain sacred balance in your life?"

"I swear it."

"Will you dedicate your life to the service of the country of Hyrule and the protection of its citizens and its Royalty?"

"I do."

"Will you lead and care for those ranked beneath you with compassion and strength?"

"I will."

Zelda held the sword flat on her hands. "Then rise, Link, and take up your sword. Wield it with courage, wisdom, and power. On this day I—Princess Zelda Nohansen Harkine of the Royal House of Hyrule—declare you Sir Link, Duke of Verdelupo, and Knight of Hyrule."

Link stood and took his sword from her, twirling it once and sliding it into his sheath. He bowed to Zelda again, the formal bow Auru taught him to use, which required her to touch the top of his head to signal him to rise. She did so, and motioned with her hand toward the crowd. "Would you like to speak to them? They await you, Sir Link."

Link nodded, gulped, and turned toward the crowd. He held up his hands and shouted a bit until the wild crowd quieted.

"Thank you people of Hyrule. I think that I have known or interacted somehow with most of the people here and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for your support throughout my journey, even though you didn't know what I was doing or weather I was on the side of good or not. Your trust and your aid meant the world to me. My loyalty is to Hyrule, and I will do my best to fulfill the honors Hyrule has placed upon me today. Thank you." Zelda nodded to him as he exited the stage, a slight smile tugging at her lips and a gleam in her eyes. She thanked the people for coming and relinquished the stage to the loud announcer man for further instructions, then hurried off the stage to the waiting form of Link.

"Forrad said to wait for you after the ceremony," the hero said, standing near the newly-constructed wooden grand staircase, as Zelda walked up to him.

"And thank you for doing so, I very much appreciate it. I thought the ceremony went quite well, don't you agree?" She started to walk up the stairs and Link followed, a pair of guards trailing behind.

"Yes. Better than I expected."

"People tend to act rudely, seeming to hate you completely and just want to be against you in everything, when they feel as if they are being held out on. Kept out of the loop, so to say. Withholding vital information makes them feel like their trust was betrayed. In addition, they were confused. They did not know what happened, but they knew they had been freed, so they wanted to have someone to thank and to honor, but they did not know who saved them."

Link rubbed the back of his right hand absently. "Hm. I've never thought of people like that. I guess everything someone does comes out of an emotion they're feeling in their heart."

"That is true, Sir Link. Giving them a face to their salvation and honoring you before them, as I did today, gives them a way to personify—externalize—their newfound freedom. Every time they think of you, they will remember that they were once captives, and that you set them free. You will remind them to always be thankful for the freedom we have and the changes we are working toward. It is a lot of pressure and responsibility to bear, but being in public eye is always that way. By saving my country and choosing not to recede into obscurity like most forgotten heroes, you chose responsibility to and pressure from Hyrule's people."

"It is just another way to battle the enemy, your Highness. I am only fulfilling my destiny."

Zelda looked down as the duo turned a corner and entered Zelda's study, the guards closing the door behind them, with two more posted outside the door. "Does destiny equal duty and nothing more? Or do you find that there is a deep contentment in doing what you were created to do?"

Link smiled, sitting across from Zelda as she took her seat. "It is a kind of joy, which is why I couldn't bring myself to walk away. If it was duty alone that lured me, the tug of emotion would be stronger. I am a w-" he stopped at looked at the guards, "-warrior, after all."

Zelda smiled and shuffled some papers. They sat in silence for a moment, and then she looked up at him and held out a parchment with gold edges, sealed with the royal seal. "I asked Forrad to keep you back so that I could give you this invitation personally. You are invited to a feast tomorrow night to meet the nobility of Hyrule, and so that they can meet you, and to celebrate Hyrule's newfound freedom. I hope that you can attend."

Link stood up and took the parchment from her, bowing as he did. "Thank you, Highness."

"No, thank_ you_ Sir Link. Your company has been a pleasure, and I bid you good evening."

Link bowed and exited, taking a secret route through the sewers to the northern field to avoid the crowds that would detain him for hours out front. A moment of silence to think on his newfound position would be heaven.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

"Hero of all Hyrule! That's m'boy!" Rusl clapped a large hand on Link's back as the hero ambled into Telma's Bar. All of his friends from Ordon were there, lodging in an inn nearby. Even the resistance had shown up for the ceremony, leaving their latest expedition to join the celebrations.

"I do say, I'm impressed old chap," Shad remarked, looking over the top of the large book on the table in front of him. "I think that you have been holding out a few details on us."

Ilia laughed, hugging Link and then punching his shoulder. "He's never been one to give away his secrets. He thinks it makes him look mysterious and strong or something."

"Hey!" Link put a hand on his shoulder where she slugged it. "I do not!"

"Uh huh," Ilia crossed her arms. "and I have never stolen your horse. She followed me each time."

"That's not true!"

Ilia laughed. "Exactly!" Link opened his mouth to reply, then closed it and sat down on a stool at the bar. The whole room burst out in laughter.

"She gotcha there, honey!" Telma called out. "Now that's how ya corner a man." She slid a bottle of milk down the bar to him, along with a platter filled with steaming hot food. Link eyes widened, his mouth watering and his stomach practically roaring. He hadn't eaten all day—nerves did that to him. Barely bothering to use a fork, he scarffed down the meal in a very wolfish way, swigging it all down the hatch with large chugs of milk. The women's eyes widened, and the men started egging him on saying "chug chug chug!"

Licking the plate, Link peered up at Uli's disapproving stare. "Um…thanks?"

Uli tapped her toe, baby Suun on one hip and a wooden spoon in her free hand. "Just because you've been wandering the country side killing monsters doesn't mean you have to act like a beast! You are a _duke_ now, and that means you will have to learn some serious manners, young man!"

Link lowered his head. "Sorry Uli."

"That will be my job." Auru waded through the crowded room to stand beside Link with his hands on his hips, his old face stern. "You may know more about battling than me, but there's more to leading an army than the fighting part. We start tomorrow at first light in the eastern field. Don't be late or you'll be sorry."

"Yes sir!" Link stood up and brushed some dust off of his clothes; he was still dressed in the fine white outfit from that morning. "I guess I'd better get to bed then. Thank you all!" He went around and hugged each of them, talking a bit and setting plans to meet with then the next day before they left for Ordon, then retreated to his room, bolted the door, and slept in the fur.

**Author's Note**: I'm sorry that this is so short, especially after going so long without a chapter. This semester has been a rough one- lots of homework. However, I wanted to post something before I left for Christmas break, so here it is. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you liked it. It could be better…but it'll do.

Also, I want to upload this onto Deviant Art, chapter by chapter. So I was thinking about having a contest for a cover for the story on DA…what do you guys think? Good idea, bad one? And for a prize for the winner…well, your art will be featured with the story on DA. And you can become the Beta Reader for the story- so you will get the chapters before they are released to the public.

Until next time!

_-The Wolfess_


	10. Training Day 1

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__!  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Nine: Training Day #1**

"An invitation from the Princess, you say?" Durtain said. He was sitting in his parlor with a "lady caller" drinking an exotic Deku tea, with hushed conversation.

"Yes, Count Durtain." The servant bowed, holding the invitation out to the Count on a silver platter. The lady caller giggled and touched the Count's forearm with a gloved hand.

"Oh, Durtain! Even the Princess herself calls on you? What an impressive man you are!"

Durtain took the invitation and waved the servant away, casting a disinterested half-smile on the pink-and-frills clad woman. "Yes, yes. And you forgot to mention wealthy. Do scoot over there a little, will you Birdie?" She pouted, but did as he asked. Durtain opened the wax seal and unfolded the letter.

"So, a banquet tonight I see, with a small private ball preceding the meal. 'in honor of Duke Link of Verdelupo, Savior of Hyrule and New Head of the Royal Armed Forces.' Our _dear _princess sure seems rather fond of this man, to shower him with such gifts all at once."

"Well, Durty, hasn't he earned it? I mean, he did save Hyrule, and the Princess's life."

Durtain glared at her. "Do not speak out of turn about matters of which you have no understanding, foolish girl. Leave me until I call on you again—I have more important matters to attend to."

She fussed and pouted, making as much of a commotion as possible as she bustled out the door. Durtain rang a bell on the table, causing a servant to rush over from the door and bow. "Please send for one of my best suits, and summon Tarno. We must make haste and prepare for this grand banquet our Monarch is so graciously throwing for us."

"Yes sir." The servant bowed and exited. Durtain examined his fingernails as Tarno slinked though the door.

"You asked for me, sir?"

"Yes. What news around town of Sir Link? I sent you on an assignment."

"Not much sir," Tarno said in his slippery, dreary voice. "He is an enigma is seems. He's had a couple rough run ins with the former General, and with the doctor who refused the Zora Prince, and he spends a lot of time while he's in town with a group of Renegade "Heroes" at Telma's bar. He has done business in town for his village, including purchasing an expensive horse from a merchant in town. The old man remarked that he seemed to have a lot of money to spare, as if he were a noble."

"As if a sword-toting shepherd should have that much money in the first place. Odd."

"Actually," Tarno remarked, "it seems that the noble who went missing for several years—Jovani—signed his entire fortune over to Sir Link right after the ceremony and has chosen to live in poverty."

Durtain looked appalled. "His entire fortune? Poverty? Did the man lose his mind?"

"Rumor says that he was afflicted with a great illness because of his wealth and lost everything that mattered to him the most. Apparently Sir Link freed him from his illness somehow, and the experience has left Jovani detesting all forms of rupees and gold. He speaks of moving to Kakariko and starting over, and has left every penny to the new Duke as a gesture of gratitude."

"Ridiculous. Nothing else I expect?"

"There was one interesting pattern I've noticed: whenever Sir Link visits town, there are numerous wolf sightings. When he is not in town, there are none, and none of the wolves sighted have ever been caught. One Soldier remarked that he was chasing a wolf down an ally one night when he turned a corner and found Sir Link standing in the ally, with no wolf in sight. Link told him that the wolf dug into a nearby sewer drain and disappeared. It could be of no significance, but it was noteworthy."

"Interesting piece of news indeed. Curious, Tarno, curious."

"Would you like me to continue to keep an ear out, sir?"

Durtain waved his hand dismissively, his dark eyes staring at the parlor table through stray locks of black hair. "Yes, yes. That will be fine. I'm off to a royal banquet."

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

In the eastern field Duke Link of Verdelupo sat across from his mentor, former Hyrule General Auru, with a constipated look on his face. There was an upside-down barrel between them, with a wooden chess set on it. The hand-worn pieces were barely distinguishable, but it was a traditional Hylian set given to him as a gift by his General when Auru was announced as the successor of his rank. The difference between a traditional Hylian set and a regular chess set was that each piece had been hand carved into a figure based on the ancient myths of the first dynasty of Hylian Royalty. On the white side the pieces were carves thus:

King = The first known princess of Hyrule, Zelda I, recorded in the myths.

Queen = Her rescuer, who then became the first King of Hyrule.

Knight = The Queen and King's two eldest sons, who were great warriors in their own right and left the kingdom to have adventures in distant lands like their father.

Bishop = The Sage of Light and the Sage of Spirit.

Rook = Two Sheikah warriors who were said to always be near the Queen and King.

Pawn = Faithful Hylian soldiers.

On the black side, the pieces were carved thus:

King = The Evil King of Darkness of Hylian myth.

Queen = His first in command, a shadow warrior.

Knight = Darknuts.

Bishop = Stalfols.

Rook = Lizardfols.

Pawn = Bulbins.

The beauty of the chess set was lost on link after his fifth time losing to Auru's evil army. They had been playing since sunrise, and it was now midday. Auru defeated Link every single time, and only after the first three hours of play did he begin to give the poor Ordonian any tips. Sweat rolled down the sides of Link's face, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth between clenched teeth, his eyes glued on his last three pieces: the king, the queen, and a single Bishop. This time he had gotten Auru down to his king, a bishop, a knight, and two pawns. It was quite an achievement for Link, but he was still losing.

"Are you sure you want to move there?" Auru said, sipping a flask of water.

Link glared at the older man. "Yes. I'm sure." He had already fallen for that trick seven times.

"Alright. Your Princess's funeral."

Link grit his teeth and moved his bishop, then looked at Auru's pieces. With a skillful move by Auru's queen, it was Bye-Bye Light Sage, and Link shouted in anger. "ARRG! NOT AGAIN! I've had ENOUGH of this Auru! I need to get ready for the banquet!"

"Fine, fine. Make your move." Auru was picking at a string on his clothing.

Frustrated, Link moved his queen one space and crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't see why we're playing this stupid game anyway. What does this have to do with anything?"

Another move of Auru's queen, and Link's queen was gone. He didn't reply. A brief side stepping, and then the game was over. "Checkmate. Again."

Link huffed and stood up, falling onto his back in the grass and staring up into the empty blue sky. Auru walked over to him with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Link I am teaching you chess because, initially, it's the best teacher of strategy. You need to know strategy because in the battles of war your main duty, as the general, will be to coordinate where your men will go, what their specific duties will be, to capture your enemy's soldiers, and ultimately to defeat him. Chess teaches all of these things. When you can defeat me in chess, we will move on to the next step of teaching you strategy. We study strategy once a week. Tomorrow morning I will teach you something different. Good day." With that he collected his chess set and table and walked back into town.

Link scowled at the old man's back, grinding his teeth. Auru was right of course, but Link was too frustrated to care. He just wanted to go kill something. When he got this angry during the war it was usually because he couldn't figure something out in a temple. In that case, it was easy to just wander into a different room and kill something evil to ease his frustration. Or spar with Midna. "But nooooo," Link growled through his teeth, yanking fistfuls of grass. "I'm a Duke now. And a General. Normal Hylians don't kill things when they're frustrated, let alone nobility. Anyway, the war's over…it's not like I can go kill a guard. It was so easy before." He sighed and stood up, rubbing his face with both gauntleted hands. _I'm talking to air,_ Link thought, his hand absently drifting to the pouch with the Wolf Stone inside. _I need to get away for a moment. Some place wild…_

Link scanned the area, checking each nook and crevice to make sure no snooping gossip-monger's eyes were watching, and then tied the Wolf Stone around his neck. The transformation shivered through his body like the caress of a lover's hand, and the wolf-man closed his eyes with pleasure. He could feel the wildness in his taunt muscles. Each hair on his furry body trembled with the need to run, to howl, to tear something apart and scarf its raw meat down his canine throat. How sweet the taste of rabbit blood on his tongue…it only tasted good in this body. Everything tasted better in this body.

Turning an eager circle where he stood, the hero thrashed his head and bolted forward, running as hard and fast as he could. He was faster as a wolf. Epona still beat him in a race, but he'd gotten close to beating her a few times. His lean body stretched and contracted, paws pounding on the earth, tongue flapping out the side of his open muzzle. The wolf knew where there were wild lands nearby he could hunt in and not be found. _I'll be back before too long. Shad's lessons at two…_

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

"Wake up." Someone was nudging the hero's side with the toe of their boot. Link groaned and swiped at them lazily. "Come on, lazy head, wake up! You need to get ready for the banquet!"

Link gasped and bolted upright. He was asleep on the grass outside the east gate, where he'd played chess with Auru all morning. There was a dried trickle of blood on the corner of his mouth that he quickly rubbed off. "The banquet! Shoot! Am I late?"

Ilia stood over him, her hands on her hips. "No, it's two o'clock. You had a nice little nap, and then Shad sent me to find you. You need to get dressed, and then he will give you a crash course in 'Courtly Mannerisms' or whatever he said. Sounds boring." She tried her best impersonation of Shad's stuffy accent when she said "Courtly Mannerisms" and they both chuckled.

Link stood up and brushed himself off. He could still feel the delirious joy of the wolf's wildness in his bones. "I'm not sure which is worse. Chess with Auru all morning, or learning which fork I'm supposed to use for my salad and exactly when to sit, stand, and walk among nobility."

Ilia threw back her head and laughed. "I'm just glad it's you and not me! I'm trying to picture you drinking wine with your pinky raised…haha!" She slapped him on the back, and they walked toward the bar.

Link glared at her, but laughed anyway. "Yeah, who'd have thought. I could barely bathe regularly back in Ordon."

"Until Uli threatened you with taking away Epona for a week."

Link laughed. "Geez."

They walked in silence for a while, Link's eyes on the ground and Ilia glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes.

"You seem edgy. Are you nervous, Link?"

"Yes and no. I'm nervous about how the nobles react to me because they hold a lot of power and influence in the city. And there's going to be a ball and I'm a terrible dancer. But Zelda is going to be there…so I think she'll watch over me. Protect me from making too big of a fool of myself."

"That'll be a change, huh? Her protecting _you_." Ilia paused, glancing at Link again. "You sure trust her a lot."

"Yeah." Link smiled a little. "I do."

Ilia frowned. "You hardly know her, though. And she's royalty. How can you know she's not stuck up like the other noble women? How can she understand anything about _regular _life being raised in a castle, let alone _your_ life?"

"She's different, Ilia." Linked looked at her, motioning with his hands as he talked. "I've talked to her. I can't describe how I know…but she's not like the rest of them. Somehow, Princess Zelda managed to turn out very human, and very easy to relate to."

Ilia shrugged. "Well, if you trust her so much, so will I." They were at the door of the bar, and Link opened it for her. Shad greeted them inside with much enthusiasm, and then motioned Link over.

"Come, come Link! I've got just the thing for you—it arrived midmorning. Latest dress fashion among the nobles. Very expensive. You must put it on." Shad motioned toward Link's room. Link moved to see what he was talking about, and then suppressed a grimace.

"Is it possible to take off lacey shirt? And the weird hat. What's up with that feather in it?"

The outfit looked very much like what you might see a pirate wearing. Long sleeved tailcoat in black with gold trim and gold buttons, large cuffs with diamonds in it, and diamonds in the tails. Knee-high swashbuckling black leather boots with large, bejeweled gold buckles. White tight, panty-hose like pants that showed off a man's muscled thighs. Then there was the dreaded white shirt with frills on the sleeves that stuck out the arms of the tailcoat, and more frills on a neck line that was left open enough to show a scandalous amount of chest hair, and the three-cornered hat with a large green feather sticking up. The color was to match Link's green-handled sword which hung in a black and gold scabbard around the manikin's waist from a hefty belt the width of a man's hand, complete with gaudy golden buckle. A thinner belt supported an emerald-studded dagger which would hang from the other side of his hips.

"Of course you must wear them! You will be horribly out of style if you don't!"

Link started taking off his boots and belt. "What about my shield? I never go anywhere without it."

"You won't be needing it tonight. Pirates, after whose fashions this new style emerged, never need shields. They don't use broadswords either, but I thought that you could afford to be a little daring and make a fashion statement."

"Ugh. Fine." Link closed his door and changed in privacy. Buttoning the thick black coat's buttons in the full length mirror on the back of his door, Link sighed and frowned at himself. "Pansy…" he muttered, tugging at the uncomfortable pants and frilly shirt. For the life of him, he couldn't adjust the hat enough to make it look ferocious with that feather sticking out of it. _If Ganondorf saw me like this, I wouldn't have needed to fight him. Laughter would have killed him. _Resigned, the hero walked out into the main entryway and tugged the hem of the undershirt down to hang loose beneath the jacket. "This is really uncomfortable. No one could ever fight in this."

Ilia and Telma, standing over by the bar, snorted to each other and snickered behind their hands. Shad walked circles around Link, adjusting and tugging at little things on the hero's attire and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose every now and then. "Luckily you will do no fighting tonight. The war is over, after all. Tuck in your shirt." Link blushed and did as Shad instructed. "Good good. Now we begin."

Link walked over to a table covered in a table cloth and set elaborately. There were so many sets of silverware at his plate that Link had no idea where to put his hands. Shad helped him with that immediately.

"Your hands stay in your lap at all times, unless you have a fork in it. You never move your hands while talking, as you have a tendency to do. Back straight at all times, parallel with the back of the chair but never touching it. Feet shoulder width apart and flat on the floor at all times. Don't breathe so rapidly—calm, measured breaths."

And so Nobility Lesson #1 began. The wolf-man was really going to dread this.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

They had practiced sitting, standing, walking, speaking, bowing, where to look and where not to look, what to talk about, how to address a lady, how to address the servants, which utensil was used for what, and Link couldn't remember a single bit of it. He bumbled through it "like a giant Bulbin with a lame leg, I do say. Truly a right clod." Link wondered if Shad had ever seen a Bulbin in his entire life, let alone fought one. Finally Shad threw up his hands, shook his head, and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose again.

"We'll go over this again next week old chap. Off to the ball you go."

Ilia and Telma had been watching the entire time and were on the ground collapsed with laughter. "Yes, Cinderella! Your carriage awaits you!" Ilia shouted, holding her side as she laughed.

"I'll have a pink dress waiting when ya get home, sugar, to match your lace!" Telma said.

Link glared at them. "Big encouragement you two are. I'd like to see YOU GUYS going to this thing. 'Don't breathe like that' he says…"and he commenced to grumble under his breath and rub his thumb over the cloth-wrapped wolf-stone he's snuck in his jacket pocket. Maybe if he snuck it on he could say he got attacked by a stray wolf on the way to the ball and just barely escaped in time to tumble in after the dancing. He'd say that the wolf had torn up his fine clothing, so he had to make due and throw on his old green tunic. Too bad.

Ilia took some deep breaths to calm herself and stood up. "Sorry, Link, but it's so funny!" She walked over to him and threw her arms around him. "Good luck, Captain." She snatched off his hat and ruffled his hair, ignoring Shad's shouts of protest.

"Captain my heal…" Link muttered, hugging her back. "I'm going to need more than luck. 'Divine intervention' would be more appropriate."

They walked outside, where a carriage more elaborate than his clothing stood waiting, cab driver and all. (Courtesy of Shad of course.) Telma, Ilia, Shad, and a few other people that had gathered followed him outside. The others had already gone back to Ordon to take care of the goats and everything, but Ilia was staying a couple weeks until Link moved in to his new estate.

"Well then, may the Goddesses watch over ya, honey." Telma said, nearly sweeping him off his feet in a hug. She set him down and winked at him as the cabby opened the door to his carriage. "Sweep some girls off their feet tonight."

Shad put his hand on Link's shoulder and shook his head in a grave manner. "It's shoddy luck that we didn't have time to practice your dancing. If only you had taken better to the social manners instead of acting like an ape." Link glared at him, and Shad chuckled weakly, backing up. "Anyway, good luck! See you tomorrow!" He scampered back inside, and Link climbed into the carriage.

"Thanks everyone," he shouted out the window as the cab driver climbed into the seat and snapped the reigns. "I'll tell you all about it when I get back!"

"Don't spare the gory details!" Ilia shouted, waving her hand in the air as the carriage pulled away. Link would have stuck his tongue out at her if he hadn't already been too far away.

**Author's Note**: I have no excuse. I can't blame business or getting stuck—although those are two of the chief reasons. Really, I just lost interest for a while, mostly BECAUSE I got stuck. Anyway, hopefully there's enough fan service in there to make up for it? And for those wanting more meaty stuff, the Ball is going to be interesting. Speaking of the Ball, I already have a third or so of that chapter written! And it's coming along smoothly, so it should be up shortly.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Until next time!

_-The Wolfess_


	11. A Night at the Ball

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Ten: A Night at the Ball**

Outside of the curtained archway she was to enter through, Princess Zelda paced. Dressed in an elaborate red ball gown, complete with lace and gaudy golden jewelry, she was pacing and resisting the urge to chew on her fingernails. Sure, she hadn't chewed on them since she was four and starting courtly mannerism lessons, but it could happen. If she'd had her way she'd have gone dressed in a peasant's tunic and pants, but that was out of the question. The dress picked out for her was laced up the back in a scandalous fashion, leaving her entire back and shoulder blades exposed, and her hands were quite without gloves of any kind, leaving her arms and hands barer than she preferred. They had allowed her some laced-up knee high boots that matched her dress, which was something to be thankful for about this fashion. Though it showed more skin than she was comfortable with, at least it allowed for boots that would spare her feet a little agony by the end of the night.

The princess's pacing had nothing to do with the dress or any kind of nervousness—for indeed she had been doing these balls and grand entrances since she was a girl. Rather, it was the arrival of her new General that had her pacing so. What would he be dressing in? Did he know anything of courtly mannerisms, or could he make up passable phrases on the spot? What about dancing? How in the world would a shepherd from Ordon learn how to ball room dance? Why oh why had she made this a ball…it could have been a brunch tea, perhaps. Or a morning walk on the main street. Or an evening horse ride. Such things didn't matter so much to her, but they mattered to her court. All of the nobles, the advisors, even the servants accustomed to serving such people would be judging his merit on superfluous things such as speech, attitude, or dress, and she had not left him enough time to learn. Perhaps he was as quick to learn courtly manners and dancing as he was with the arts of war?

It was a Hylian custom for the princess or queen to choose a nobleman to accompany her at a ball in the event that a brother, a betrothed, or a husband was not available to perform the duty. Doing so promoted positive relations with her nobles, and a higher chance of a male counterpart being chosen for king in the event of a single female monarch such as herself. This arrangement was bothersome most nights and the cause of Zelda's avoidance of balls in general, but it had been decided that Sir Link would enter with the Princess and be her chosen male chaperone, since the night was in his honor. This was decidedly advantageous tonight, because she could help Link in the den of war-starved social lions he was unknowingly being thrown into. Her main concern for now was his specific location; he hadn't arrived yet, and their entrance was scheduled in a mere ten minutes. Link was a warrior and a wild beast, not a nobleman interested in politics and social gatherings. What if he'd changed his mind about the whole thing and decided to retreat into obscurity forever, to herd his goats and slay his foreign enemies, and left her alone with an angry kingdom and a fading legend of this great hero who saved Hyrule once upon a time. Zelda rubbed her temples.

"Your Majesty." A servant approached her and bowed.

Zelda spun around. "Finally! Has he arrived?"

"Yes ma'am," the servant said, still bowed low. "Mister Forrad is briefing him now and sent me ahead to let you know he's coming."

Zelda clasped her hands and inclined her head. "Thank you very much. You may go."

The servant gone, she heaved a sigh and lifted her eyes to the heavens. "Thank you, Goddesses."

True to his message, Forrad and Link soon rounded the far corridor and strode toward her, the old advisor's voice running a mile a minute, and the hero's face looking rather distressed. A smile curled her lips.

"Please Forrad! I fear if you lecture him any longer that our friend may turn and run away in horror, never again to return to our fair Hyrule on the grounds of too much badger from old men. My reputation as a monarch would never recover."

"Your humor delights as always, your Majesty," the advisor said with a bow, and the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I will leave him to your capable hands and prepare your entrance."

"My thanks to you, Forrad. We will be along momentarily." Zelda chuckled as he walked away, shaking her head, and Link shuffled his feet, his left hand nervously rubbing the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting about. The princess crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her chin with the manicured forefinger of her right hand, and examined the hero's apparel with approval. In top fashion, and the colors and style fitted his appearance well. The hints of green in the weaponry, accented by the rather silly-looking green plumb in his hat, brought out a look of wildness in his eyes, she thought. Then again, perhaps that wildness was always there.

"You look very fashionable, Link. Quite a departure from your normal apparel."

Link colored slightly and tapped the toes of his boots on the floor. "Shad. Shad did it."

Zelda laughed and laid her hand on the hero's shoulder, catching his flittering gaze. "Relax Link. I've never seen you so fidgety. If I didn't know better, I would say the fearless hero of legend was scared. I must be mistaken."

That made Link's backbone straighten. He squared his shoulders and glared at Zelda. "I'm not nervous," he stated, setting his jaw. "I just didn't have much time to prepare."

"I am sorry for that." Zelda sighed. "Anyway, I assume Forrad informed you of your role tonight, and the reason for it?"

Link nodded. "He did. He failed to mention the 'we're keeping a close leash on you because you're a bumbling country oaf' part out of it, but I felt it was implied."

"Oh, he means well. He's been in this castle since my father was a young spoiled prince. But enough chit chat—let us make our entrance, shall we?"

Link held out his arm to her, and she slipped her hand through his elbow. On the other side of the curtain the voices of the audience standing in wait around the ball room had been steadily increasing due to the stream of arrivals, and were now nothing short of a dull roar. Princess Zelda's stance was perfectly straight and royal, as always, and she now tilted her head up slightly so that the line of her jaw was parallel to the floor. The golden tiara on her forehead seemed more pronounced and daunting as a mask of royal benevolence and indifference fell on her countenance. Similarly, a wolf's impassivity came upon Link, his expression cautious, yet unreadable. Link pretended to be leading, but it was Zelda whose first step and tug on his arm indicated that he was to lead her through the slit in the curtain. The thick red fabric of the curtain was pushed away with minor difficulty, and they entered into the large ballroom to an immediate roar of voices.

The same short, rotund man in uniform who introduced her at the Announcement Ceremony was speaking. He had a funny curled mustache and mousy hair, with cheeks that were always red, and held the Announcer's Scepter in his hand—the main purpose of which was to beat on the floor. He lifted it up and slammed it into the floor twice, then commenced speaking. "Announcing her Majesty the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda Nohansen Harkine, Daughter of the late King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule and Queen Isabella Harkinian Hyrule. Long may she live and find favor with the Goddesses." _Thud. Thud. _"Lists of her achievements in her time of reign are many, and her wisdom saved us from death in the Twilight War!" _Thud. Thud._ "Long may she live and find favor with the Goddesses. Hail!" _Thud. Thud._

"Announcing her Majesty's chaperone, in whose honor this ball is being held: Sir Link of Ordona Province, Duke of Verdelupo, General of the Hyrulian Army." _Thud. Thud._ "Amongst his list of achievements, the Duke of Verdelupo delivered our princess and, therefore, ourselves from the hands of the Evil King Ganondorf, thereby ending the Twilight War. He delivered the Goron people from their oppression, and rescued the life of King Ralis of the Zora people. To him we, the people of Hyrule, owe our freedom. May his sword be blessed, and may he always find favor with the Goddesses!" _Thud. Thud._

The roar of applause surprised Link due to the relatively small size of the crowd, and color crept into his neck. He waved his hand a little awkwardly.

When the room quieted, Zelda slipped her hand from his arm and stepped forward to the edge of the steps that led down from the raised portion they were standing on to the ball room floor. "Thank you all for coming. We are gathered here to honor our savior, and celebrate our freedom! This is a joyous occasion—dance, feast, and be merry!" Needing no more encouragement, the people cheered, the players struck up a happy tune, and the dancing began. Zelda returned to Link and took his arm, guiding him down to the floor. "We will walk around the edges of the gathering first and mingle with the elderly nobles of Hyrule, who prefer not to dance until they've had three or so drinks."

Link chuckled. "Drinks of what? Red potion?"

She smiled and suppressed a giggle. "Not really. That does nothing but heal the body." Zelda motioned to a table on the other side of the room laden with flasks and milk jars. "A special Romani Milk we import from a farm in the neighboring country of Termina."

"Is it rotten?" Link looked mildly bewildered.

"No, just has some special ingredients mixed in from some trees that grow in that region which produce a youthful-ness in the elderly, and a sense of joy in the youthful." As she spoke, the two came upon and old man with his wife on his arm, their backs bent with age, said flasks of milk in hand. "Good evening, Earl!"

The man bowed as best as he could, taking Zelda's offered hand and kissing it. "Your majesty. Such a pleasure to see you again, and in good health."

Zelda embraced his hand in both of hers. "The pleasure is all mine. To have such experienced ball-goers as the Earl of Rochester and his wife is an honor! Is my ball to your liking?"

His wife spoke up this time. "Oh fine, fine. In our day they spit-shined the floors you know. And I tailored that curtain yonder by hand."

Zelda smiled at her. "And we continue to appreciate its beauty Mrs. Earl of Rochester! How are you tonight Eleanor?"

"I am very pleased your majesty! To see you on the arm of such a fine gentleman, a lady such as yourself ascended in years. I began to fear that you would never choose a husband, and here he is!"

Link turned three shades of red and shook his head vigorously, as Zelda brought her hands to her mouth and laughed out loud. "Dear Eleanor! I am afraid you are mistaken—he is not my betrothed, he is my general and merely my chaperone for tonight. Remember, I took Lord Tocires to our last ball, before the war?"

The elderly woman seemed confused. "Oh, yes, that's right…well, Madame, the time is long overdue to choose one. It just isn't proper. A woman of your age should never be running a country. You couldn't do better than the savior of Hyrule, my Lady."

Zelda patted the woman's head, smiling politely. "Yes, well I'm afraid he's given his heart to the sword and it will never be gotten by a woman, isn't that correct General?"

"Uh, yes. Quite." Link continued his look of embarrassment.

"And how is it going with the Army, young Duke?" It was the Earl who spoke, and Link was glad for the switch in subject.

"Well, I've had my first day of training for the job with General Auru today, and I plan to make my introduction to the army by the end of the week."

The Earl nodded his head, looking around at the dancing people and drinking his milk. "I shouldn't expect much trouble. 'Tis peace times, after all."

"Yes, it is indeed." Zelda shared a look with Link, and they moved as if to go. "Thank you very much for the pleasure of your conversation, Earl. We will bother you no longer."

"Thank you, your Majesty."

The two began walking again, skirting around the edge of the dance floor and conversing with the nobles not dancing already. Various political subjects were brought up, and more than once the marriage question was raised, with meaningful looks shot at the Hero. They often asked Link endless questions about his past, his love interests, his romantic tastes, his sense of style, his adventurous stories, and many more topics which the wolf-man was not quite able to understand or reply to.

"I do apologize for this," Zelda said to him after one such conversation. "Such menial topics of conversation as romance, marriage, and gossip are regular topics of conversation amongst nobles, when they aren't trying to push for some political cause or another. Any chance to change the monarch's mind and get their way…but really, they are quite pleasant people. A few of the ladies can be quite down to earth at times, and the men can be great at many sporting activities, and well educated. There is just no excitement in their lives to make them rise to their true potential, and so they focus on what drama they _do _have. And about the marriage hints…they're insistent on tradition, and see no reason why I should not engage with a noble man right away. Due to their romantic culture, well, the idea of a union between their princess and their savior is quite romantic in their minds."

Link shrugged. "I figured as much. It was only awkward the first time."

Zelda laughed. "Mrs. Earl always forgets that the man on my arm is my chaperone and not my husband! We have the same conversation at every ball."

Link grinned and got a mischievous look on his face. "Well, then, I will just have to impress her next time."

The princess slowed down in her walking a little and narrowed her eyes at him. "Exactly what is that mischievous grin supposed to insinuate?"

Link masked his facial expression and shrugged again. "Oh, nothing."

"Oh, you imp! Don't you dare humiliate me in front of the Earls of Rochester!"

"I said nothing about humiliating you," Link said. "I merely said I would have to impress them, is all. Midna was the imp, not me."

Zelda nodded, her facial expression disbelieving. "Oh, and you were in no way guilty of mischief?"

"Nope."

"Then those wolf sighting that scared everyone and chased my guards around Castle Town but hurt no one?"

"Stray wolfos. Terrible problem, really." He suddenly got a look of epiphany and exclaimed, "Ah ha! I've got the answer—you should hire a dog catcher!"

"Well, I do believe that I've caught a stray wolfos myself," she whispered, tugging at his arm.

Link made as if to open one of his pouches and pull out money. "Well, let me pay you your due. What is a dog catcher's fee?"

The corner of Zelda's mouth turned up, her eyes sparking. "My fee is a dance, good Duke."

Link shook his head and held both hands up in front of him. "NO! N-n-no! I am a terrible dancer! I'll step on your royal feet, highness."

Zelda grabbed his coat sleeve and tugged him toward the dance floor. "I am afraid, Sir General, that this is my fee, and you owe me it. After all, it isn't good for the Princess not to dance."

Link relented. "Fine. I apologize in advance for the humiliation and pain you are about to endure." The girls behind them waiting for partners giggled and pointed at the princess tugging at her general's arm, twittering conversations behind their fans. Noticing this, Link grinned and waved at them as he took Zelda's hand, and the girls giggled furiously and sighed a bit.

"Why, you big flirt!" Zelda teased as the music dwindled off and the dancers lined up on either side of the room, males on one side and females on the other. Link stood next to the other guys nervously, and looked to Zelda as the music started up. The first step was taken—the dance began.

"I know them is all," he said when they came into the middle, his eyes looking at the other men's feet instead of at Zelda. "They're my fan club after I beat the Star Game to get that huge, expensive quiver."

Their hands pressed together in the middle and they walked in a circle. "You just like to toy with their affections. I see." Zelda said.

Another turn, another step, more touching of hands and brushing of clothing as the music, and therefore the dancing, picked up to a merrier tune. "Well, they're easy to mess with!" Link managed to get out, bouncing and twirling the princess and working up a little sweat.

The dance got more complicated and involved at this point, rendering the pair unable to converse. They hopped on one leg and tapped the toes of their shoes twice, then twirled their partners and stomped their feet, hands clapping in the air, laughter flitting and squeals as some men tossed their partners. The Hero's mind began to sink deeper into the movements and the trance of dancing—the blur of loose hair flying around the girls heads when they spun, the flying skirts and laughing faces, the strong backs of the men and the confidant movement—a trance, a blur, a panting. The heat of moving bodies rose around them, an electricity passing between each dancing form. The princess's azure eyes sparkled with the joy streaming in laughter from her throat, every line of her form moving with elegance and pleasure. Sweat beaded on her forehead and it trickled down the Hero's face, their movements fast and efficient, Link's confidant hand always on her back, her waist, her hands, her shoulder, guiding her movement with increasing complexity. His hat had long ago flown off of his head and gotten lost in the crowd. A smile, slight and inviting, rested on the hero's face, his dark eyes boring into her with an intensity she had never seen before—her heart beat in a way she couldn't understand. He began to lead her in dance moves even she didn't quite know, catching her in his arm when she spun, tossing her into the air with skill and strength, his eyes ever burrowing into her form like the first stars of night in the dark of the late twilight sky. Something inside of her trembled under the power of what she saw in his gaze.

Suddenly the music stopped, and with two last stomping steps it was done. The hero and princess stood frozen where they stood, one hand clasped in the middle and the other held up at their sides, as the rest of the dance floor burst out in applause. Their chests rose and fell, Zelda's face scrunching in question, and Link's ever impassive, thoughtful. The next song was a slow waltz. Link pulled Zelda closer, one hand on her waist and the other clasped to her hand, guiding her as the music began.

"Link?" Zelda said, searching his face. He looked like he was staring at a spot just past her. "Are you okay?"

The hero blinked. "Uh…yes. I am. Are you?"

Zelda nodded, allowing herself to be guided by him. "Yes. What happened just now? You said you couldn't dance…and you were acting strange."

They danced in silence for a while as the hero thought. "I can't dance," he finally said. "But the Hero can."

Zelda crinkled her brow. "I don't understand."

"There was a hero long ago…I mentioned him to you once. The Hero of Legend has a spirit…the ancient hero. This spirit is my spirit, and yet it wasn't awakened in me until I was pulled into the war. The more I fought, the more I found I just seemed to know things. Sometimes it felt like I wasn't fighting at all…but, rather, that the spirit of the hero was fighting through me. Sometimes I wonder which is truly me, the hero or the shepherd boy. It appears that he knew how to dance."

Zelda looked pensive. "How much does he possess your heart in these times?"

Link guided her in a couple moves, and then answered. "It's mostly skills. Mostly only what I can't do and need to." He paused, glancing at her face and then away. "Though, just now he seemed to control my heart as well."

Zelda's hand squeezed his shoulder a little, and they twirled a couple times according to the dance. "You were looking at me rather strangely."

"You…" Link bit his lip and stopped.

Zelda looked away from him, color rising into her cheeks. "I look like his lover."

Link cleared his throat and blushed, nodding his head. They danced for a while in awkward silence. "How did you know?"

"The way you looked at me was…" She, too, cleared her throat a little. "Also, there is a journal which belonged to the hero. Only royalty knows of its existence…and I have read some of it. His heart is passionate and torn…he was in love with the first Princess Zelda. I haven't read why, but he wasn't able to be with her romantically. Merely as her ever-devoted guard."

Link's eyes lit up. "The Hero's journal? Really? May I read it?"

Zelda smiled. "Of course! I shall arrange for it tomorrow."

The Ordonian nearly skipped a beat in his steps with excitement. He was like a little boy getting a surprise, and it made Zelda laugh a little. The awkwardness of their previous conversation passed, and they returned to their lighthearted joking and silence when appropriate. The waltz ended and switched into another dance, and so the princess and the hero danced all night. It delighted the people to see their adored hero and their beloved princess together, and it delighted the elderly lawmakers and men of power to see her finally seeming to really enjoy the company of a man. It was not a common sight to see her thus enjoying herself, almost too informally, with a male noble.

!

Someone else in the ball room that night noticed the princess's behavior with the Ordonian man, and ground his teeth. Count Durtain kept a close eye on the princess throughout the night, observing how she interacted with this commoner everyone foolishly called a savior and a noble. "She treats him like her best friend," he spat to his partner, a girl he picked up who had no brain and a fine form. "Nay, like they share some secret that binds them. It is despicable. No matter how many titles and honors she bestows on the likes of that commoner, he will never be noble. What line does he come from?" He continued without waiting for her answer. "Goat herders, of all things! The people are taken in by him just as much as she is. He's bewitched them all somehow…and yet certain facts do not add up. He is hiding something, I know it. It is my duty as a nobleman of Hyrule to protect her highness from his devilry."

"You are no fun to dance with like this, you know."

He cast a disdainful glance upon his partner. "Oh, do not bore me with your mindless chatter. You cannot comprehend the matters of nobility, such as you are." Just then he spied someone else with a similar expression upon their face, staring at the Duke of Verdelupo and their princess: the former General Gorkenheim. Durtain immediately quit the dance—to the protests of his partner—and tried to make his way toward the man's seat at the bar without seeming to obvious or overeager. "Pardon me. Excuse me. Pardon me. I'm sorry. Thank you, Pardon…Ah! General!"

Gorkenheim took a large swing of his Romani milk. He had passed his third bottle a while ago. "I think you've got the wrong guy," he said, without looking at who spoke. He motioned toward the dance floor with his half-empty bottle. "He's the guy ya need nowadays."

Durtain sat down next to the hairy, burly man, his mind quickly scheming. "I will never call him anything but a fool and a commoner. YOU are my General."

Gorkenheim looked at Durtain at that, examining him through a drunken haze. "What has a nobleman got against that scum?"

Durtain dropped a few rupees on the table and took a sip of the milk handed to him. "He is nothing but a commoner with secrets who has tricked our Monarch into giving him all the power in the land that she can without actually making him her king, and by the way that all the nobles are talking tonight, that is not far off either. He's hiding something, and taking from some of us all that should rightfully be ours."

Gorkenheim growled and gulped the rest of his milk, slamming it on the counter. "You got that right."

Durtain leaned in close and spoke as lowly as he could. "If you know anyone else who shares our sentiments, let us arrange to meet at my estate. I will send my servant Tarno to arrange it with you in a fortnight." Gorkenheim nodded and grinned; Durtain handed him the rest of his milk and patted him on the back, then walked back onto the dance floor, grinning to himself.

!

Meanwhile, Link and Zelda finished their latest dance, and the princess let out a loud sigh. "I am purely exhausted, Link! I cannot dance another step! We must take a break."

Link, too, sighed and laughed. "Absolutely!" He placed a hand on her back and guided her out of the crowd, then allowed her to take his elbow again. "Where shall we rest, princess?"

Zelda motioned toward an archway that led into a dining room adjacent to the ball room, and they moved in that general direction. Their progress was slow due to the need to stop and talk to the nobles they passed by on the way, but they finally managed to push out of the crowd. The dining room they entered into was about as long as the dancing room was large, with an elaborately carved oak table bigger than any Link had ever seen. Circled around it were cushioned chairs, and a fine china set. There was a pair of large throne-like chairs with blue embroidered cushions and lion heads carved into the arms slightly raised above the rest of the table, clearly indicating the Monarchy's supremacy, and all of the other chairs seemed to fan around the table from this point, making Zelda the center of all activities. Around the table servants bustled, straightening silverware and setting out the food that was be eating in what looked to be a few minutes, while on the other end of the room from where Link and Zelda entered Forrad seemed to be looking inquisitively at every detail with a checklist in his hands.

"Forrad, my darling advisor!" Zelda exclaimed with a laugh, clasping her hands together. "What would I ever do without you?"

"Run wild around the countryside ambushing unsuspecting commoners, I believe," he immediately replied without looking up. Link laughed at this and nudged Zelda with his elbow.

"He's got you pegged, doesn't he?"

Zelda walked around the room toward the large chairs, picking up a glass of water off of the table as she did so, which a servant promptly replaced. "I would expect him to. It was he who encouraged me in my antics, after all."

"I did no such thing." Forrad said, peering over the top of his spectacles and checking something else off of his list.

"He just doesn't like to admit it!" said the princess, sitting down in her chair and throwing a leg over the arm in a very un-lady like manner. "Do sit," she added, motioning toward the other large chair. Link made a quick bow of his head and did as she asked. She took a swig of her water and sighed with relief, holding it out to him. "water?"

"Don't mind if I do," he said, grabbing a glass of it set at his place instead of drinking from hers. She smiled and shrugged, drinking more from her glass. "Why two large chairs like this if there is only one monarch?" Link asked.

Zelda's eyes darkened a little, her lips turning in a slight frown. "To ever remind me of what my country's expectations for my life are. It is insisted upon by the romantic, the traditionalists, and the ambitious, though most of the country seems to like me as I am, and are as wary as I am to put a king on the throne, especially after the war."

"I see. It's too bad that the majority of your country doesn't have a say in the matter."

Zelda nodded. "Very astute of you, Link. It is true…Hyrule lingers on an old system in desperate need of modernizing that favors the wealthy and well-connected. It is my intention to do something about it, no matter how many of the people benefiting from this system protest. What they do not realize is that the first dynasty of Hyrule had equal representation and fully supported the idea of a single Queen in charge, as long as that monarch possessed the Royal family's Triforce of Wisdom. Only through time and corruption did it become what it is today."

"Well, I will be behind you in whatever decisions you make, for what it's worth." Link said, relaxing into the comfortable chair.

"That will be a great help, indeed. I have seen it already—the people greatly respect you. You are a jewel in their eyes, no matter what their social ranking may be." To this the hero merely smiled and stared into his water glass. Zelda changed the subject. "You, my humble hero, are an amazing dancer."

"Didn't used to be! But the hero has had millenniums of practice."

"I praise the hero's spirit then. You truly showed skill better than anyone in my kingdom—did you not the see the way the people all stared at you with their mouths hanging open?"

Link laughed and slapped a hand on his knee. "Several men dropped their ladies to the ground because they stopped paying attention!"

"The people formed a ring about us during the song where you led me in that complicated ancient dance. I have read about it, but never seen anyone capable of performing it!"

Link grinned and tipped the hat that wasn't there anymore. "I must say, my lady, that for every masterful dancer is an equally masterful partner—you quite rose to the occasion, highness."

Zelda did a pretend curtsey with her hands from her lounging position in the chair. "And without a single mistake, I might have you note. I do have to be able to impress my people at their own tests of rank, you know."

"To be a good dancer is to be good at everything that matters in life, I'm sure," Link said with his tongue in cheek.

"Of course! There is nothing more important than a good ball. It is the highlight of life—like the jousting contests of old. Same principle really: the men all compete against one another to be the best dancer in the room, and whoever wins obtains the lady's hand—often my own."

"Does that mean I won something without having to kill it?"

Zelda laughed. "Ha! It does! At least until someone can best you, at which point I must never dance with you again."

Link shook his head. "I will just have to practice I guess. Can't have you bored to death all night with a snooty dancing master."

"Because all great dancers are snooty."

"Of course."

"Therefore I am snooty, is that the way of it?"

"I—" Link stopped, his mouth hanging open, with no come back, and the princess laughed at him and pointed, remarking about his mouth catching the flies quite nicely. At this comment a few trumpets were blasted in the ball room and the announcer said in his booming voice that the feast was beginning at this time, and the guests should enter according to social standing and prestige. The princess quickly swung her legs down and sat properly in her chair, back straightening and shoulder's squaring off, and Link followed suit. They shot a smile at each other as the guests trickled in pair by pair. Nearest to them were representatives of the oldest families in Hyrule, from Duke down to Lord in rank, and the younger families—along with the more unpleasant guests that were sat far away on purpose—ended up seated nearer to the ends. Next to them sat the Earls that Zelda had introduced Link to earlier and their offspring, similar older family on the other side, and across from Link the sat the single representative of the rather old and prestigious Rashak family, Count Durtain of Rashak. Zelda knew him well, for the man had a great ego and vexed her very much, but Link had never met him before.

As soon as the dark-haired man took his seat, he locked eyes with the princess and flashed her a smile that made her glance away and address the Earl and his wife. Meanwhile, his eyes sifted to Link and the smile became very hard-edged, much like the look in his eyes. Link cleared his throat and leaned forward a little, raising his voice to speak above the din of voiced. "I don't think we've met. I'm Link."

The Count bowed his head stiffly. "The Duke of Verdelupo—well met. I am Count Durtain of the family of Rashak. Our lineage goes back to the early second dynasty of the Hyrulian Royal Family."

"Um, well met. Have your relatives always been Counts and Countesses?"

Durtain's mouth seemed to twitch, as if repressing laughter. "A family's lineage traces back to the first generation of _noble_ blood. He was a foot soldier who performed a great act of heroism for the king that was so great he was given a Lordship, which then progressed to a Count over a couple generations."

"Then his parents were commoners, then?"

"Indeed, I assume so." Count Durtain seemed to relinquish this bit of information as if it were somehow distasteful. The hero fidgeted his boot under the table, realizing his naivety concerning the customs of nobility was making him look like a fool.

"You would be interested to know, Durtain, that Sir Link's familial line traces him back to the first dynasty of Hyrule." Zelda had turned from her conversation and jumped into Link and Durtain's discussion. She smiled her own sharp, challenging smile. "His ancestor was head of the armed forces for a time and, it was said, saved the country from several threatening powers, supernatural and not. It seems that salvation runs in his blood."

"Hm. I see—and why did this bloodline not continue to hold to their social status, may I ask? Was he a Duke, an Earl, or a Count?"

Link looked from Durtain's polite expression, to Zelda's cordial one and raised his eyebrows at her. _What ancestor is she talking about?_ He wondered.

"He was offered a Dukedom—under the name of Verdelupo since he had no known ancestry to speak of, and therefore no familial name—but he turned it down." Zelda brought her hands up in front of her and tapped her fingertips together as she spoke. "I can see in your face that you are about to ask why he would do such a thing—well, he was raised in the forest by a mysterious and wild band of spirits, and couldn't adjust to a courtly lifestyle. He served with a Lordship on the army for long enough to make sure the kingdom was safe from all possible threats, and then left the country for years in search of adventure. Only in his mature years did he return and settle in a shack on the edge of the forest in view of the castle, where he lived in obscurity and faded out of knowledge."

"Is this correct, Duke?" Durtain said, turning to Link in astonishment.

Link shrugged. "I knew a little of the man's story, but this is as new to me as it is to you."

"The Royal Family has documents of every family line in Hyrule, and what Link does know if his ancestry tipped me off to where he must have descended from." She raised her eyebrows at Link; _play along with me here!_ Link got the message.

"Yes, there exists certain irrefutable evidence that linked me to a certain man in the first dynasty of Hyrule—a few journals, weaponry, clothing, passed down from one to another—and on seeing these and discussing them, the Princess in her great wisdom immediately knew which man these were from and identified my familial line. I guess all things come full circle—I'm accepting the status and position for my deeds that he couldn't for his."

"Fascinating, truly." Durtain muttered. Just then a bell was rung indicating that the feast was to begin, and the room quieted. Zelda stood and motioned her arms around the table. "Thank you all for taking part on our festivities tonight—as you can see, we have spared no luxury in this feast, for this is a day to celebrate as never before! Is not freedom the greatest cause for feasts and merriment? Eat and drink as much as you like. This night is your night—for inasmuch as we are here to honor Sir Link, we are to glory together in our freedom. I will not have the pleasure of speaking to many of you before you return to your homes, and so I bid you thank you and good night. Your company has been splendid this evening. I am sure it is not a night we will soon forget!" People had been making agreeing mutters and grunts throughout her speech, and at this closing line they all cheered and immediately started grabbing at food and passing it around.

Zelda returned to her seat and looked across at Durtain, who was serving his plate and conversing with a nobleman on the side of him. Link knocked her foot with his boot under the table and grinned, leaning over to whisper in her ear. "Excellent ploy, highness."

Zelda grinned, unfolding her napkin and placing it in her lap. "It was no ploy," she whispered back. "The journal says it all. I did not make up the surname I gave you—it was offered to the first hero by the first princess of Hyrule. Every word was true."

He smiled back at her and they spoke no more of it, instead conversing with the people around them, eating food, and drinking milk and water. Link and Zelda noticed Gorkenheim—strategically placed near the end of the table—glaring their way the entire night and looking rather drunk, but he didn't make a move to speak to them and they decided not to worry. The night waned on without much hitch, as one by one the people trickled back to their carriages. The nobles of Hyrule watched their hero and their princess converse and laugh with one another all the night through, and in most of their hearts was an approving glow. With a strong hero to watch over and guard their country, and a wise princess to keep its steps just and sure, they had nothing to fear and tricked back to their homes in contentment.

Except for the people passed out on the floor and the last stragglers, most of the guests had gone home. Link and Zelda stood near the door saying goodbye to families and thanking them for coming, though Durtain strode by them without pausing. Link found him rather rude, and Zelda brushed it off as snobbery.

"I'm pretty sure that I bungled up every aspect of courtly manners. I was a regular moblin, just like Shad said I would be." Link remarked, sitting just on a bench in the garden just outside of the ballroom, in view of all the servants cleaning up inside.

"You were, I do admit. You ate like a beast. Luckily your exquisite dancing made up for it I think—and most of the nobles were either too old and senile, or too drunk to notice." Link laughed.

Just then some heavy boots stomped toward them from ballroom. Zelda stood up as the formal General Gorkenheim staggered his way into the garden. His face was red, his eyes glazed over with drunkenness, and the rank stench from his unwashed, hairy body made Zelda cover her nose with her hand.

"YOU!" he yelled, his eyes fixed on Zelda. "How dare you replace me! YOU NEED ME!" He took a step toward her, raising his fist, and Link stood up and moved closer to her side.

"I'm afraid that you are going to have to leave," Zelda said in a very calm voice. Link's hand rested on his sword hilt.

"What did HE give you? Huh?" Gorkenheim's voice seemed to be becoming louder by the moment. Guards clanked down the stairs and from doorways. Link stepped between Zelda and Gorkenheim with his sword drawn.

"You heard the Princess, Gorkenheim. You will leave immediately."

"What are you giving her?" the drunk ex-general slurred, his face so close that his nose nearly touched Link's. The guards were crossing the ballroom floor. "Is he pricking you, princess? Is that it, whore? I can pri—"

Link leapt at the man, a sound issuing from his throat that was more wolfish snarl than yell, and smashed the butt of his hilt into the man's face. The cartilage of Gorkenheim's nose cracked and blood gushed. He lifted his hands to wipe it away, as Link's right fist smashed against the side of Gorkenheim's face, sending the drunk man hurdling to the floor. He fell with a heavy thud. Link leapt atop him and pressed the flat of his sword on the man's throat—enough that it didn't cut, but made Gorkenheim gasp for air, blood from his own nose streaming into his mouth and down the sides of his face.

"You will NEVER speak to a monarch that way! Do you hear me?" Link shouted. Tears were leaking from Gorkenheim's eyes. He nodded.

The guards arrived and the nearest one placed his hand on Link's shoulder. The wolf-man jerked his shoulder away from the hand, but got off of Gorkenheim and sheathed his blade. A sound like a growl came from his throat as he backed away, again placing himself between Gorkenheim and Zelda. His body hunched in a battle-ready position, with his upper lip pulled back slightly over clenched teeth, blue eyes narrowed. A couple of the guards backed away from Link, and the others grabbed Gorkenheim and hauled him off to the medic first, and then the dungeon. "I've never seen any move like that," one of the guards murmured as they walked back into the castle. "…like a beast…"

Link closed his eyes and straightened his stance, taking a few deep breaths. He forced his hands to uncurl from their fists, and waited for the red haze of instinct to abate.

He could feel Zelda step closer to him and pause. "Thank you, Link," she said, placing her hand on his back. One breath…two. Link opened his eyes, his muscles relaxing, and turned around to face her.

"Are you okay, princess?" He asked.

"Thanks to you, yes," she answered, dropping her hand down to her side. "I appreciate your defense of my honor…though, perhaps, you were a bit too harsh on him. I think you scared him witless."

A smile tugged at his lips, but quickly faded. "I can't stand a morally debased, boorish man like him marring the purity of an honorable person, let alone the Princess of Hyrule. It is not acceptable, and if he has bred such attitudes in his army it will be soon stamped out. I won't tolerate it."

Zelda smiled, raising a hand to her heart. "I have placed my army and my life in fine hands." She bowed a little to him, which he returned, and then slipped her hand through his elbow and walked toward the front door of the ballroom. "I think you frightened my guards more than you frightened Gorkenheim," she remarked with a grin. Link grinned himself and chuckled a little.

"Let them spread _that_ rumor around," he said.

"Beast." They laughed.

When they stepped out the front door, Link's carriage was one of a couple waiting for their charges right outside. Upon seeing Link, the driver hopped out of his seat and opened the door. The hero turned to Zelda.

"Thank you for tonight," he said. "It was fun."

Zelda smiled. "It was indeed! I haven't laughed so much in years. In fact…" she tilted her head and thought a moment. "I can't recall the last time I had that much fun. I am infinitely grateful."

"You're welcome, I guess." He shrugged.

Zelda chuckled. "How about you save the world again soon, so that we can throw another one of these?"

Link laughed. "I'll get right on that, promise!" He made a show of a fake salute that Zelda laughed at.

Still chuckling, she sobered down and held out her hand to Link. "In all seriousness, your company was lovely. Until out next meeting, take care."

The hero bent down and kissed the back of her hand, lips and breath barely brushing skin. She inclined her head in approval, and he couldn't help but feel a little proud that he had at least remembered one thing from Shad's lessons. After all, there hadn't been many fairy tales to read in a ranching town.

"Goodnight princess," Link said, stepping toward the coachman. "Rest well!"

"You as well!" He got into the coach, and Zelda waved as she stepped back from it. Link gave one last wave out the window to her and rested back into the plush seat, sighing and closing his eyes. Hopefully he wouldn't fall asleep before they made it back to his house.

**Author's Note**: Readers: "Wow! Another one so soon! AMAZING!"

Me: "I know, I know. I DID say that I was sorry!"

I will point out that this is the longest chapter yet…a full 25 pages in my master word document for this story. (I write it all on one document, and separate the chapters in separate documents when they're done with special ffnet-friendly formatting. The longest chapter before this one was 19 pages. And this one is more rounded in every way—action, chemistry, tension, plot-moving devices, relationship building (in many characters), along with detailed descriptions and snappy, fun dialogue. I've discovered a great writing tool by accident: if you are writing a story that isn't going well and don't feel that excited about the next chapter, then (when you finish your current chapter) write a couple pages into the next chapter and stop in a point with some kind of movement or tension that will be easy to pick up at next time before you stop writing and post your completed chapter. That way you already have a head start on your next chapter when you post.

Anyway, thank you for reading. Please leave me a review—I would like to know how many of you are still reading this. It HAS been a while. How are your lives going?

_-The Wolfess_


	12. Pushing Shadows

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Eleven: Pushing Shadows**

The carriage pulled up to the bar in the pitch black of night, and the wolf-man had fallen asleep inside of it. In the relative warmth of the carriage's plush interior his chest rose and fell, his body sprawled over the seat like an eight-year-old boy on a sofa, his calloused fighter's hand rubbing the pocket that hid the wolf stone in his sleep. In the haze of his dream-saturated mind, Link danced around a different ballroom, a much older and smaller one. The woman in his arms looked almost identical to Princess Zelda, but somehow she seemed younger and harder, fiercer than the monarch he knew. The hands he held were as rough as his, accustomed to the feel of weapons, and in her eyes was an ache deeper than any the young warrior had ever seen. She opened her mouth and closed it again, as if yearning to say something to him but holding herself back. They merely danced in silence, alone in the empty ballroom with shadows and faces dancing around the edges of his vision. Faint whispers of melodies and memories tickled at his mind, but he could not call them forth from the edges of his vision to really look at them. It all felt so familiar…

"Link?"

Link smiled at the voice, groaning slightly and flipping over on the seat. The voice wasn't coming from the princess in his arms, though, he realized with a frown. Where…?

Someone shook his shoulder, saying his name louder, and Link's eyes slid open. For a moment he blinked at the face looking at him with laughter in her green eyes, waiting as the dream's haze faded. Feeling a bit disoriented, he sat up and shook his head, rubbing his face with both hands.

"Where am I?" Link muttered, his voice gruff with sleep.

"Back at Telma's bar." Ilia reached toward him and grabbed his upper arm, tugging him out of the carriage. Link glanced around the interior to make sure he didn't leave anything, and let her guide him. "And I think you better come along and let the cab driver go home, sleepy head."

Link nodded and waved at the cabby. "Thank you," he called after the man. The cab driver tipped his hat and pulled away. Link blinked a few times, feeling more alert now. "Why are you still awake?" he asked Ilia.

Ilia let go of his arm, seeing that he was awake enough to walk on his own. "Everyone else is asleep, except maybe Shad. I think he's reading a book in his quarters. I wanted to hear how the ball went, though."

They were inside the bar now and sat down at a table. Link smiled at her. "It was great! I was the Princess's escort for the night and she helped me a lot. She introduced me to all of the nobles, and was fun to be around. Quite a sense of humor, that one."

"The nobles, huh?" Ilia chuckled and shook her head. "I'm trying to picture you bowing and talking about fashion. Ha!"

Link laughed too. "Luckily Zelda picked up those parts of the conversation. Mostly, they asked me about my adventures and future romance possibilities."

"And you told them…?"

Link shrugged. "The truth. There's no one in my life right now. Zelda tagged on a comment about 'he's married to the sword, and will never give his heart to a woman.' I don't know about never, but…well, you know."

Ilia had looked away slightly, and nodded as he finished his statement. "Yeah, I know." She was quiet for a moment, then turned her gaze back to his with her old mischievous glint returned. "So, is the princess icing her feet tonight?"

Link glowered at her. "No! Actually, I'm a natural dancer. I was the best one there."

Ilia gave him a doubtful look. "Yeah right. I don't believe you."

Link pushed back from the table and stood up. "I am! And I'll prove it to you." He walked around the table and held out his hand to her.

Ilia crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. "I don't think so! I'm a ranch girl, and ranch girls don't dance."

Link snorted and grabbed her arms, hauling her out of the chair despite her verbal protests. "It's all in the leading, Ilia. You don't have to know a step—just follow me." He pushed a couple tables out of the way and then led Ilia to the middle of the cleared space. Her cheeks were bright red in the moonlight streaming in through the windows. Link placed one hand on her waist and the other in her hand, then smiled encouragingly. "Don't be nervous," he said. The ranch girl just gulped and nodded. "We'll start off with a simple one. Nice and slow." He stepped back and she stepped back with him. "Good, just like that. Okay now just follow me." So they danced, Ilia looking at their feet with an expression of intense concentration on her face, and Link looking at Ilia.

"Feeling comfortable with the steps yet?" He asked. Ilia glanced up at his face and nodded. "Good, so I'm going to twirl you." He did a couple simple twirls, blinking at how easily her slight form moved in his hands. It was so much easier without all of the skirts and fluff of High Style that Zelda had been wearing that night. The two friends got into the rhythm of the dance, their eyes glancing at each other in the moonlight. The time passed quickly by the hero and the ranch girl in their slow, ancient dance.

Finally Ilia let out a huge sigh and let go of Link's hand. "Okay, I'm exhausted. Let's stop now, please?"

Link nodded and let go of her, moving to push the tables back in place. Ilia flopped down in the nearest chair, breathing a little heavier.

"Where did you learn that?!" she asked, watching him push things back into place.

"I…just knew somehow. That's all."

Ilia narrowed her eyes. Link knew he couldn't fool her…and why was he trying to? Would she really care if he was the reincarnation of some ancient hero and seemed to be turning into him, bit by bit? He opened his mouth to elaborate, took a breath, and closed it again.

Ilia continued to securitize him from her chair. "That's a load of goat turd," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Link gulped, pretending to readjust some chairs to avoid her piercing green gaze. She was waiting for him to respond. It was now or never…

"I…got some extra lessons. It's kinda like footwork in battle…you have to be able to flip and twirl and move your feet when you're fighting. So dancing wasn't that far off. Zelda showed me a couple steps before we went out." He bit his lip, then turned and smiled at Ilia.

She didn't smile back. "And you learned fighting where?"

"I…"

"…and how to use that chest full of weaponry you came home with. Or how you suddenly go on diplomatic trips to the Gorons and Zoras—since when were you a good diplomat? Since when did you rub elbows with monarchs and talk about the princess of Hyrule as if SHE was your best friend?" Ilia's eyes glittered with moisture that she promptly flicked away, her face red and hot with anger. "She hasn't known you since childhood, and yet these days I feel like I don't know you anymore. All of the sudden you have these secrets from us all. Maybe the others pretend not to notice or choose to look the other way, but I don't like it Link. I don't like this secretive, distant man you've become. He's not the one I fell in love with…"

Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. Link looked the other way, the tips of his ears turning red.

"I'm sorry," she said, quickly and quietly. "I didn't mean to say that. But you already knew that, so you shouldn't be so flustered."

Link sighed. "Yeah, I know." Silence hung between them for a moment, then Link came and sat across from her, folding his hands on the table. "Ilia…I can't tell you. I wouldn't know where to begin, or how to proceed. I'm a different man than the one you grew up with…I'm a beast. I'm a warrior. I'm a killer. And I have an entire nation looking to me for hope…you have no idea how that is."

Ilia sat back in her hair, fresh tears gathering in her eyes. "You're right. I don't know. But does my best friend still exist in there? Anywhere?"

Link looked at his hands, seeing the blood on them in his mind, and hearing the terrified shouts of everyone when they saw the "beast" he was—the wolf. Those monsters couldn't help what they were. They were raised to be that way…but Link killed them anyway, and he didn't fully understand why he felt so guilty about it. He just knew what it was like to be called a monster. Knew what it was like to kill and enjoy it. "What do you think?" he whispered.

Ilia looked at his hands, then reached over and took them in hers, pulling them toward herself. There were so many lines and scars there that she didn't remember. How many other scars were there on his body from the battles he had seen? How marred was he now? Maybe the scars weren't a "marring"—maybe they were just different. Changes to the man she knew...could she love this new, hard, secret-keeping man? Did she want to anymore? Link looked at her, a sadness in his gaze that Ilia didn't recognize, but there was still a boyishness in his eyes that she did know. His mouth still had that mischievous pull at the corners that she did know. There was still a quiet firmness about his presence that made her feel safe. Ilia held his hands in both of hers and smiled. "Yes. I think that the Link I know is still there somewhere. Changed…added to and taken away from. But you're still there. Just different."

Link's shoulders slumped and he sighed, resting his forehead on their joined hands. Ilia freed one of her hands and stroked the back of his head. "Can you be okay with not knowing what I'm hiding from you?" he whispered, not looking up. "Can you be okay with just being my friend? I feel like I've lost so many of those. I really need this to be uncomplicated again…"

Ilia bit her lip and sighed. "Yes. I can be okay with that." They both knew she was lying, but at least that meant she was going to try. Trying was better than nothing.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Count Durtain was up earlier than usual this morning. He sat out on his front porch, already dressed to the nines, sipping exotic coffee and munching on a sparse breakfast. He let the front of his shirt hang open a little bit, enjoying the feel of the cool air on his skin as the sun rose over the town. When he got home the day before, there was a kind reminder from Tarno on his desk about his secret monthly appointment. It always made him feel a little queer—somber and nervous in a way he hadn't felt since he was a boy being whipped by his father. There had always been something he did wrong according to the old man, and perhaps Durtain was a bit rude and a bit selfish, but at least he didn't hurt children like his father had.

When the estate and the title passed to Durtain upon his father's mysterious death, the Count soon opened a free orphanage for the homeless children in town, which was why people didn't see them running around town anymore. It was a hush hush affair—for all anyone knew, the princess opened the orphanage. Its sponsor was listed as anonymous on the plaque, and he talked with enough disdain to dissuade anyone from suspecting him. Still, secretly he was pleased to see them safe from the streets, and the life of prostitution and crime that would have awaited them. He himself enjoyed the benefits of those underworld institutions, but he wouldn't wish it on a child that young. They could make their own decisions when they became teenagers, the Count didn't care then. He wouldn't let them be forced into it, though.

Once a month Durtain met with the head of the orphanage to discuss business and the institution's needs, and on the way back he made his most secret stop. Today, however, he had requested that the head of the orphanage—a woman named Bethinda—come to his house in the early morning, before most of the town was awake. It was for this reason he sat on the porch at sunrise, watching for her and trying to look a little more "common" for her sake.

Just as the sun rose to peak its rays just above the housetops, glaring in Durtain's eyes, Bethinda came bumbling up the walk with her books in arms, overflowing with paper. He stood to greet her, bowing as a Lord would to a commoner. "Good Morrow, Bethinda. I trust that you are well."

She huffed and smiled at him, bobbling into an awkward curtsey and almost dropping her books in the process. Stray gray hair peeked out from under her cap, giving her a ragged look she always seemed to have. Such is the ways of working with children. "G'day Count Durtain. I'm a li'l hurried, tell ya the truth, but I'm survivin' I is."

He smiled and picked up his breakfast, walking into the house. "Please come in. We'll meet in my office today."

She nodded and bustled after him, smiling at the servant who rushed to help her through the door. Durtain sat at his usual spot, clearing the paper from his recent studying off of the top, and Bethinda set the books on it before sitting down with a great sigh. "T'is so nice to sit. I never have the time."

Durtain gave a pained smile. "Yes, well that is your lot in life I guess." He cleared his throat and pulled the books to him. While he examined the numbers carefully, Bethinda sat still and let her eyes roam around the room. She'd been there a couple times, but it always seemed to change depending on his interests at the moment. Currently there was a lot of old genealogy books and legends on his desk. Bethinda frowned—it wasn't his usual interests. These actually seemed interesting. Durtain cleared his throat, drawing her eyes back to him. "Everything seems to be in order. There seems to be a recent increase in medicine though—is the house sick?"

Bethinda nodded. "The young boys are circulatin' a flu, sir."

Durtain made a note to himself. "I will send for the doctor at once. Expect him by the end of the week. Anything else I should be aware of?"

"Not really, no. Same as last month. The boys did have a request, though."

Durtain folded his hands on the table. "And that is?"

Bethinda smiled. "They'd like some toy swords, sir. To play with. They're quite struck by hero-worship with the new general."

Durtain scowled, causing Bethinda to shrink back a little before he caught himself and righted his expression. "Absolutely not. Frivolous expense. They can use sticks if they want pretend swords."

Bethinda just nodded, swallowing. "I agree, I do." She said.

"If we are done here, then I must bid you adieu Bethinda. I have much work to do today."

Bethinda stood up and gathered her things, curtseying again. "Thank ya' very much, Count." She said, and then bustled out the door.

Durtain rubbed his temples, willing the headache away. There was some noise outside his office, normal sounds of the house waking up, servants bustling about morning meals and cleaning. The Count stood from his chair and crossed the room to a bookcase along the opposite wall, searching the shelves with his dark eyes until they landed on a tiny wooden box with a copper clasp. He looked at it for a moment, sighed, and picked it up, bringing it back to his desk. Sitting back down in his chair, Durtain placed the box before him and opened the clasp, letting the lid fall back. Inside was a sparkling jeweled dragonfly clasp, glittering with green emeralds, red rubies, and blue sapphires set in twining gold and silver metal. He picked it up and turned it over in his smooth right hand, absently rubbing his forehead with the left.

"Count Durtain." The slippery voice of Durtain's number one man, Tarno, pulled the count from his reverie.

"Yes?"

The man was bowing at the door. "Your taxi carriage is waiting at the back door."

Durtain sighed. "Thank you. I will be along shortly." Tarno nodded and exited. Durtain put the clasp back in its box and slid it into a large change purse on his desk. He straightened his clothing, buttoned his shirt, strapped a sword to his waist, and slung a ratty black cloak around his shoulders to hide his form and face, then walked out to meet the waiting carriage.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Up with the birds, as always, the blue-eyes hero found himself bested today by his trainer for the morning, Ashei, who woke up long before dawn. Link wondered if perhaps her lack of sleep accounted for the drooping, sunken appearance of her eyes. He dared not ask her, however, since he found himself yawning as he met her on the eastern lawn at the crack of dawn and already had to suffer her disapproving glare. He had fallen asleep on the table the night before and woke, quite alone, to the sound of Ashei's metal feet crossing the wooden floor. It surprised Link exactly how much room Telma had hidden in the back of her bar, but they were all grateful. Telma had quietly let them know that their welcome was almost worn out, however, as she was starting to demand that they all do chores on a regular basis, in addition to the rent and other fees they already were paying her. Shad was hinting at a hasty retreat.

"Today you prove your skill," Ashei said, snapping Link from his mental digression. The sun was rising behind her and glared off of the metal covering her body, making Link squint and shield his eyes. She immediately slapped the hand away and tapped his cheek none too gently. "Show no weakness. Do not betray that you cannot see." Link cleared his throat and frowned, but kept his hands by his sides.

"We fight now."

Even as the words were calmly pronounced, Ashei was already barreling toward him, metal hands swinging at his face.

"Woah! Wait!" Link dodged her swings, rolling and flipping away from her, but as he rolled to the side her right hand caught the leather of his sword belt and snapped it off, sending his sword and shield clanking to the ground. Link lunged for it, but Ashei was there already and slammed her fist into his shoulder. The metal sunk deep into his flesh, grinding the chainmail under his tunic into the skin. He screamed out in pain, staggering backward, and Ashei's other hand used the opportunity to collide with the side of his face. The force of it sent him crashing to the ground with a loud thud. Ashei's foot was soon descending on his head, but Link rolled to the side and used the momentum built by that motion to roll back onto his feet.

A familiar haze fell over the hero's gaze, his mind easing into a cloudy, bloody niche his warrior's mind was accustomed to. When Ashei's attacks came now, he moved out of the way long before she got close to him, his own fists and legs coming up to strike her where her defense had gaps—too small for most people, but huge gaps to the wolf-man. A strike of his heal to the side of her head sent Ashei staggering backwards. Link followed around and rammed his shoulder into her breast, just above the metal girdle around her midsection, causing the woman to cry out in pain and trip over her own feet, falling. The hero would have continued to pummel her there, so quick she couldn't get a punch in edgewise, but her sword was out in a flash and pressed to his throat. Her face was calm, though her breathing was heavy and ragged. Link was growling, his eyes almost red with the battle-haze that was clouding his mind, his limbs trembling with adrenaline.

"Calm down," she said, her voice cold. "Control yourself."

Link closed his eyes, breathing deeply and lowering his clenched fists to his sides. Ashei stood up and brushed herself off, backing away a few paces.

"You fight well," she continued, "But you fight with instinct, am I correct?" She went on, not waiting for Link to respond. "Such blind bloodlust would be helpful for dungeons full of nothing but monsters needed to be killed, but when it is people you are fighting you must know how to control yourself. You have justice in your hands—but you must also learn mercy in equal measures."

Link just nodded, retrieving his sword and strapping it back around his chest. Luckily she hadn't broken the belt, just removed it.

"Let us go again, this time with swords. Control yourself." She drew the sword from the sheath at her hip, and Link drew his sword and shield. Once more she came at him, and as the battle got harder and the hero felt himself on the losing side, once more his instincts started to kick in and the battle haze seeped into his mind. This time, however, he fought the haze back and harnessed the skills, fighting harder, moving quicker, managing his instincts. Ashei defeated him this time, but the sweat covering his face wasn't from physical exertion—controlling the haze cost him the battle.

"Again," he muttered, before Ashei could speak. She nodded, and the battling continued. The two warriors went on this way through the rest of the morning. Finally, when the sun started getting high in the sky, Ashei stopped their battling and walked toward a shallow body of water nearby on the plain. They both sheathed their blades and waded into the water, letting it soak their sweaty clotheS and cool their overheated flesh.

"You fight better than any I have ever met," Ashei admitted. "Even better than my father, ya?"

Link frowned, looking up at the sky. "But I lost most of the time."

Ashei waved a dismissive hand. "No matter. You are learning to control your instincts—your progression today was impressive. It took me two weeks of continuous training to learn what you have mastered in a morning's practice, ya?" She sighed and sat up in the water. It was very shallow. "Hyrule's army is in good hands. The princess made her choice well in you."

Link sat up to and smiled at the warrior woman. "Thank you."

"Perhaps my father will return to the army under your command. He would serve a man like you."

Link tilted his head. "Why did he leave in the first place?"

Ashei stood up, walking to the shore and grabbing a fresh water skin sitting on the bank. "He did not agree with Gorkenheim and his twisted army captains. So he left." She took a deep swig of the water and sighed, then tossed it to Link. He gave her a thankful smile and drank deeply.

"He sounds like a noble man. And if he trained you to fight as well as you do, I would love to have him."

Ashei just nodded. Link got out of the water and followed Ashei as she walked back toward the castle. "Auru is waiting for you inside with chess." Link groaned. "I know you do not like it. Neither do I, ya? But Auru suspects your true tactical abilities will be unlocked after a morning of battle. In chess it is good to unleash those instincts I just taught you to leash. Play not a game, no—fight a war. Move men. Kill kings."

Being quiet people by nature, they walked the rest of the way back to the bar in a comfortable silence. Auru was already in the resistance group's normal corner with the chess board set up, finishing off a game with Shad, who read a history book in between moves while Auru thought. Ashei moved to the bar and ignored them, unrolling a small map in her pouch to make some notations, and Link sat down with Shad and Auru. Following Ashei's advice, Link let the lingering feel of battle seep into his mind and cloud his vision as he watched the game—soon he saw the strategy in the combatant's moves. Auru was picking off the key players in Shad's forces to leave his king undefended, while Shad was using his queen's free movement to sneak through the holes in Auru's defenses to claim the victory. Auru was sharp, however, and cut him off at every turn. Shad's focus on intelligent strategy failed to harness the individual strengths of the different pieces, and Auru claimed the victory.

"Move aside, Shad," Link said, scooting Shad—chair and all—to the side of the table and yanking his own chair to the table. Auru put the pieces back in place, and Link closed his eyes. Auru was white so he would move first, meanwhile Link let the battle lust flow through his mind. Ashei's training that morning was invaluable—he felt it as a tool now, rather than an overcoming force. It was surprisingly easy to do.

"Your turn, Link."

Link opened his eyes and looked at the board. This time he didn't see little carved statues on a game board, and he wasn't playing a silly game. His princess was in danger, and it was up to him and the tools at his disposal—his forces—to defeat the threat. Eliminate the danger and protect the monarch at all costs. He moved his pieces forth to answer Auru's moves, his eyes never leaving the board. Auru seemed too distracted in between moves that surely Link would be the victor—but in the end Auru still won. It was closer than before, but Link still lost. He growled and pounded his fist on the table.

"I don't understand! How did I still lose?"

Auru leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest, and smiled. "Link. In battle, what happens when you focus all your attention on one enemy and forget everything else?"

Link blinked. "You are so absorbed in the one detail that you miss all of the others, leaving yourself open to attack from other, unforeseen factors. You have to focus on all aspects of the battle."

"And what of the things that are important factors but don't directly involve the battle?" Auru asked.

"You mean like terrain and wildlife?" Link asked. Auru shrugged. "Well, if you let a part of your mind focus on other things you have a higher chance of noticing different avenues of attack that you wouldn't have seen if you haven't been aware of them."

Auru nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching. "And how can you apply this to chess?"

Link frowned and thought for a while, idly resetting the board as he thought. "I have no idea."

"I'm disappointed," Auru said, setting up his own pieces. "I would have thought it obvious considering how observant you are. Be aware of the workings of your own mind. You see, Link, when you allow yourself to be completely absorbed in the game itself, your mind overlooks possibilities. If you let your mind wander to other things not concerning the game—or battle, as it were—when you look at the board again your mind will notice things it wouldn't have before. Shad read a book while I made my moves. I look around and think about past adventures. Our game will last for weeks on end sometimes while we wait to see our next move. When we come back to the game after distracting our minds with other things, our minds are fresh and we see the board with new eyes. Do you understand?" Link nodded. "Well then let's go again."

This time Link chose not to focus so hard, though he still harnessed his battle instincts to formulate strategies and execute moves. It was a different kind of battle, but the same basic principles none the less. In between moves he talked to Shad, Ashei, or Telma. Ilia came over at one point and distracted him. The game went on for quite a while because of this. When there wasn't any people around to distract him with conversation, Link found himself thinking on his past adventures, and on last night's ball. It seemed so far away he could hardly believe it was just last night that he danced with the princess and nearly killed a drunkard.

"Checkmate, Auru. You can't get out of that." Link grinned triumphantly. Auru grinned back, crossing his arms over his chest and nodded.

"Indeed—soundly slaughtered, I might add. Well done, General." Auru gathered up the pieces and started putting them away. "We will do more of this," he said. "You seem to have a good grasp on basic strategy now. Tomorrow we will do something more complicated. For today I have something else planned for us."

Link raised his eyebrows. When Auru didn't volunteer any more information, he prompted the old man further. "And that is?"

Auru fixed the latch on his chess case, pushed it toward Shad to take care of, and stood up. "You're going to meet the army today. They'll all be there—thousands of them, including all of your commanders. Gorkenheim would have been there, but the head of the castle guards tells me that he is in prison for assaulting the princess. Rumor has it that you protected the princess from him like some kind of animal."

Ignoring that last comment, Link jumped to his feet and hurried to Auru's side as the old general exited the bar. "Right now?" he croaked.

"No time like the present, Link."

The hero fidgeted with his tunic and groaned.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Count Durtain stepped down from the cheep taxi carriage with his hood pulled over his face and clutched the cloak about him. He sighed and watched as the driver cliqued his tongue and the horses pulled away; they would return after dark, when his visit for the month was up. With a sigh he faced the front door of the familiar small house with its dark stained glass windows and walked toward it.

"Hey! If you don't like bugs, you have no business bothering Miss Agatha!"

The dark-haired count froze in his tracks and narrowed his eyes at the sneaky man with sunken eyes that had place himself between Durtain and the door. His eyes shifted back and forth in a paranoid manner, his dirty hands wringing themselves again and again. It was impossible to tell what age he was through the grime on his face.

"I thought I told you to leave. What are you doing still here?" the Count said in a cold, quiet voice. The small man didn't answer. He fidgeted some more and tried to avoid Durtain's gaze. "I asked you a question. Why are you here?"

The man shrunk back from Durtain, pressing himself against the wall and shaking his head. Under his breath he murmured "no business…Agatha the bug princess…you have no business here…"

Durtain shoved him to the ground and went to the door. Before opening it, he half turned his head and said, "I am going to have you arrested today for indecent stalking and possible violation of a child." With that he knocked twice and went in the house.

A genuine smile almost touched his lips when he looked around the space. He remembered where each item in it had been bought, and why Agatha chose it. It was many years ago, when the smiling blond girl was just a little kid who still needed to be babysat, and Durtain secretly took her on a trip to a neighboring country, just the two of them, where they spent days shopping for her "palace". The building hadn't been built yet, just a vacant lot, and Agatha was staying in his orphanage. He took her away on the trip on the ruse of an anonymous adoption, and her palace was built while they were away. Already in love with bugs, she picked out the bug displays all over the walls in a scientist's study, and skylights. Everything bought and packaged, they returned home where the house was completed. He'd chosen to leave the large tree on the lot there and build the house around it. It was modest house, but a good one for Agatha—warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and filled with things to delight her. She loved it so much that the only time she left it was to buy things, or go bug hunting.

"Who's there?" Agatha's bell-like voice rang through the room, her eyes peering around the side of the tree. Durtain took his cloak off and hung it on a rack by the door as a gentle smile smoothed the tense features of his face. Eyes that were usually as hard and cold as steel seemed to get warmth in them, and his face—hard-lined with judgment and disdain—softened. "FATHER!" Agatha squealed and ran to him. He crouched and held his arms open as she barreled into them.

"Good morning, Agatha," he murmured, turning his smiling face into her hair and hugging her tightly. "You're up early today."

She giggled. "I always wake up at sunrise, silly! That's when the bugs wake up!"

He laughed and let her go, still crouching at her eye level. "Of course! My bug princess has to be awake to serve her people. You're a very good monarch, my dear."

"Come have tea with me, father?"

Durtain nodded and followed her to a small tea table, looking around at the sparkling golden bugs flittering through the air. The ringing noises they made reminded him of Agatha's voice, and made him smile. "I don't remember you having all of these the last time I came," he remarked.

"A boy got them for me this month," she said as she poured some cold water into the tea cups.

"A boy, huh? A prince?"

She shrugged and put tea leaves in the cups. "I don't know. I guess. He was on the stage with the Queen this week."

Durtain's eyes flashed and widened, the muscled in his jaw flexing as he clenched his teeth. He cleared his throat. "She's not a queen, dear. She's not married yet." He said.

"Oh." Agatha sat down and stirred her tea.

Durtain took a measured breath, pointedly relaxed his expression, and stirred his own tea. "So," he said, casually. "This boy. What does he wear?"

"Lots of green. He looks light a giant grasshopper!"

Durtain laughed. "Or a slimy green slug."

Agatha shook her head. "No he's too nice and cute for a slug."

"Oh, no slug then. Grasshopper it is." He paused. "I know him, actually. His name is Link."

"You'll be proud of me, father," Agatha said with a grin. "I remembered what you said last time about being a more polite princess, so whenever the boy brought me a bug I shared my happiness with him."

Durtain's brow furrowed. "Shared your happiness? How?"

"Just like you share yours with me. I gave him fifty rupees every time he brought me a bug, and a hundred when he brought me a partner for the bug at my ball! Did I tell you about my bug ball, father?"

Durtain nearly spilled his tea. "You _what?_"

Agatha looked confused. "I had a ball for my bugs, but they didn't get the invitations I sent, so the boy went and got them for me."

"No, no, no. You gave him your money?!" He looked around the room at how many glittering bugs were there and nearly choked again. He must have been there a lot to bring her that many bugs. _I was right about him all along,_ Durtain thought. _He is hiding something. To violate a little girl's privacy and take her money like that…what a slimy, underhanded, deceitful man. This will not go unmentioned!_

"Father, will you go bug hunting with me today?"

Durtain jolted from his thoughts and nodded. "Of course, that will be fun. Before we leave, I have a present for you."

"Yey!" Agatha giggled and clapped her hands together. Durtain reached down to the change purse.

"First, your allowance this month is in it. But no more giving money to strangers, you hear me? Sharing your happiness doesn't mean you have to give them money." Agatha pouted her lower lip, but nodded. "Second, open the little box inside."

"OH! What a pretty clasp! It looks just like Mido over there!" She pointed to a green male dragonfly that was sparkling away on the side of the tree near them. She giggled and put it on, then twirled around and hugged Durtain. "Thank you father!"

He laughed and hugged her back. "You're welcome, Agatha. Now, shall we depart out the back way?" Putting his cloak on and tugging the hood low over his eyes, Durtain took Agatha's hand and walked with her out the door.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Link was standing in the last place he had ever thought he would be. Every little kid dreams of being a hero, and he had become that. He fought monsters hundreds of leagues under the lake, and thousands of miles in the air. Dragons, sea serpents, dead fossils revived, possessed killer plants, and a giant spider that only existed centuries ago in a temple now nothing but lost ruins...all of these he faced and destroyed. He single-handedly rescued six people groups from slavery and extinction—the Zoras, the Hylians, the Sheikah, the Gorons, the Oocca, and the Twili. He helped take care of goats on a ranch, and danced with queens. Sure, he has been afraid, but never in all of his wandering dreams was this scene ever in Link's mind.

Link stood on a make-shift stage set up on the field in the middle of the Army Compound. Rather than wearing appropriate General attire, he wore his ruddy green tunic, mud all over his boots and hair unkempt—his usual appearance, especially when he spent the morning training. _A little heads up would have been nice._ The entire army was spread out around him, standing in their units and looking up at him with expressions ranging from disdain to curiosity. Perhaps a few of them were happy, but it was impossible to tell with so many of them spread around. Right in front of him, the officers stood in a row:

Captain Volc, head of the castle guard, stood to the left of the other officers. Link recognized his ginger hair and angular features from his first post-war meeting with the princess. The timid head of the city guard and gate posts, Captain Farel, fidgeted right next to Volc. To his right were the three slippery-looking captains of the messengers and border patrols—Doker, Refflan, and Morg—then the five main army captains. From his first glance the five army captains seemed like decent, rather unremarkable soldiers. The red tunics and plumed helmets set the captains' uniforms apart from that of the regular soldiers.

Link's thumb worried the wolf stone's pouch furiously. What he wouldn't give to turn into a wolf, jump on their heads to the wall close by, and escape…but no, this was his duty to the royalty, Hyrule itself, and his own destiny.

"You okay, Link?" Auru stepped onto the stage and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. Link just nodded. "All right then, I'm going to introduce you. Then the stage is all yours." The old general gave Link's shoulder a firm shake, and then stepped forward and held his arms in the air for silence. The angry-sounding murmurs dwindled off and Auru spoke.

"As you know, General Gorkenheim is responsible for making this transition smooth and introducing you to your new general, but, as you are all aware of I am sure, he is in the dungeons. His brutal, drunken attack against our Princess is inexcusable, and punishable by beheading. I would introduce General Link, the Duke of Verdelupo to you all, however you already know of him. You are also aware of the thrashing given to the six men your general and his officers sent to kill the Duke. As a past general of this army, I can tell you with full confidence that you will find no better leader and fighter than this man. He is worthy of your respect, your trust, and your fear. Without further ado, General Link.

There was no applause. Auru met Link's eyes for a moment, and then stepped to the center of the stage. The wolf-man's sharp eyes roved over the crowd, his mouth set in a hard frown, and crossed his arms over his chest.

The silence dragged on. Men began to shift on their feet, cough, and murmur. Link just glared at them.

"I have nothing to say to you," he finally said. "You have made up your minds to hate me, and whatever I might say you won't really hear." He turned on the stage to face a different section of the crowd, listening to the murmurs in the back. "I went into monster-infested temples that you were afraid to go near, recovered ancient weaponry and skills, and single-handedly delivered each region's people from the evil within. I have killed monsters bigger than the castle, whose fire was hotter than lava, and whose poison more deadly than snakes. I've fought dragons in mid-air, and sea serpents at the bottom of the lake temple. I have defeated your strongest men with ease, surprised and unarmed as I was. I have even traveled through time…and yet, you wish me to prove myself." He scoffed and spit on the stage at his feet. "Disgraceful. Is the code of chivalry dead? Have you forgotten the vows you took?

"Captains," Link pointed at the line of ten. "Do I need to fight you as well to earn your respect?" As he said this, the hero began removing his gauntlets. "Do any of you feel the need to be beaten? I'd rather have you strong for training, but not if you hold no respect for me."

All ten captains, eyes wide, shook their heads and took a half-step backwards. "N-no sir!" Captain Volc said.

"No?" Link shrugged, taking off his hat and setting it next to the gauntlets. "Fine. Anyone else? Anyone? You can keep your arms if you would like." The courtyard was silent. Some of the weaker-hearted soldiers were actually trembling. General Link chuckled, and crossed his arms again. "No one? Too bad. You will have more opportunities in training. You have a long way to improve from the damage done to this army by that trash, Gorkenheim." A smile crept onto his face. "I will teach your captains what I know, and they will teach you. I myself will be as involved your training as possible—expect to have me involved in all of your lives. I have been told what it was like for you under Gorkenheim. That era is over. If you are sad to see it go, you may delist from this army. Men like the previous general are not needed or welcome in my army. Consider this a warning—and a promise. I will train you all, and we will succeed. The Hyrulian Army will be a thing of honor and chivalry again. You will be able to tell your children that you were in the army, and say it with pride. You will be a role model for all citizens. To be a soldier will be honest work again. It's going to be hard work for us all, but if you are willing, then I am able. I believe that every one of you has the potential to be a hero in your own right. Together, we will fight off the shadows of the past. That's all."

Link picked up his things and started putting them back on. "Captains, I will meet with you immediately. We will discuss your positions of leadership and why you feel I should let you keep them." The Captains nodded and shuffled behind him as he headed from the field to the General's quarters, Auru walking by his side.

"Good show of strength," the old general murmured, low enough for Link's ears alone. The hero let the corners of his mouth curl a little and met Auru's eyes. He could hear the captains murmuring to each other in low voices behind them. Auru pointed Link in the direction of the General's quarters, and once they entered the main conferencing room, Auru took a non-obtrusive stance by the door, and Link turned to his captains. They lined up in front of him in the same way they had at the ceremony—perhaps it was their set formation? Link wondered at how much of the army's procedures and formations he didn't know. He cleared his throat.

"I have been told of your deeds, and have seen them for myself. You are corrupted, power- lusting men. Your troops are rude, untrained, and weak. They spend their time drinking in bars, and run at the first mentions of danger. I don't care that they were fighting monsters—it was their duty to fight. Then again, it was your duty to train them to fight and be brave, and you didn't. The Hyrulian Army's failure was on your shoulders, and that of your despicable general. What's more, you chose to be loyal to him rather than to your monarch after the war because it was his failure to lead that gave you your power." Link looked at Captain Volc pointedly. "Tell me why I should let you stay in power."

"Permission to speak, sir?" said Captain Morg.

"Go ahead."

"Captain Morg, northern and eastern Hyrule border patrol. Gorkenheim manipulated us when Volc let the information slip—he led us to believe that you were from nowhere. We didn't know that you were responsible for our deliverance—can you blame us for wanting to preserve the army from an inexperienced boy? Gorkenheim may have been a slob, but at least he had battle experience."

"That makes no difference, Captain. Princess Zelda made a decision, and it is your duty to honor her decisions and trust her wisdom."

"With all due respect to her Majesty, sir, it was after her father died and she inherited the throne that we came under attack and lost Hyrule."

Link's eyes narrowed, his right hand in a fist. "Your name?"

"Captain Doker, Hyrulian messengers."

"One of the rudest, foulest branches of the army. Of course. Your time in this army is over—I am demoting you to the lowest ranking. Such disloyalty and ignorance will not be tolerated, especially by someone with no firsthand knowledge of the Princess's person."

"Sir!"

"You do not have to permission to speak, soldier. You may go clean out your quarters. Do not address your men. I will address them, and I will speak to you further at a later time."

Grumbling and glaring at Link, Doker exited the room. Link tapped his boot. "Anyone else sharing private Doker's sentiments may also leave, for such ignorance of the former King and her Highness will not be tolerated in my army." No one spoke. "Good. I will speak to each of you in private at a later time. You have the opportunity to prove to me that you are willing to change, and deserve the position you have. If you don't meet my expectations, you will be likewise demoted. Am I understood?"

The captains nodded.

"Good. As I said to the men, past shadows will be removed from this army. If you insist on holding to them, then you will be removed. You all may go."

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

The taxi carriage dropped Count Durtain a few blocks from his mansion. The tired-looking, disgruntled count walked to the servant's door in the back of the house and entered. A glass of wine had been left on the counter for him, as he requested, as well as a freshly lit candle. Pulling back his hood, Durtain took both in either hand and walked through his corridors to the study. With a deep swig of the red wine, the black-haired man tossed his cloak on a chair in the corner of the room and sat at his desk. Still open on it were the Duke of Verdelupo's genealogy charts. There were many holes in the charts, and whole centuries of missing ancestors. Also there were every report on the Duke's activity, wolf sightings, and Ordon from the present to a year prior to the war. Once again, it didn't add up. He was no one with no sword knowledge and no ability—how had he possibly defeated the enemy and brought Hyrule peace? And if indeed, as Durtain suspected, he had not really done so, who had? And how had Link deceived their monarch so? Perhaps he tricked her, as he has tricked Agatha. To steal a little girl's money and invade upon her privacy…it was slimy and despicable. Perhaps there was black magic involved…

The shadows in the room seemed to get darker as these thoughts swirled through the Count's mind. The candle's light dimmed, seemingly surprised by the room's shadows.

_He is a liar and a thief,_ Durtain thought. _It is my duty to protect the princess from him. If she in league with him, then I must have Hyrule's best interests at heart. I will expose him for what he really is. Hyrule will see the truth, as I do._

The Count made some notations about the new information he had attained that day, and leaned back in his chair. Plotting how he would go about this, Durtain drummed his fingers on the chair's arm and drank his red wine. The candle light glinted in the glass's depths like a pair of red eyes on the surface of the wine.

**Author's Note**:

A Link and Durtain Chapter! And a little something there in the beginning…lol. Just keeping you on your toes! Is that character depth in Durtain? WOW! This chapter was a long time in coming, but as you can see the length of it I hope that you understand why now. It was a complicated chapter to write, especially with the shifting from person to person and the material being covered. Enjoy, review, and all that jazz! Thanks to everyone for your continued support, reading, and comments. One of these days, I'm going to have a thing here in the Author's Note to show what countries you all are from—all around the world! I love being able to see that. Yey !

On another note, I've really been enjoying the Zelda fanfilms that are out. There's Legend of Link (LOL) the parody of course, but there's also The Legend of Zelda: The Sage of Darkness that's been completed. It's a little hard to get into at first, but by the end of the film I was engrossed in it. Very great actor for Link, I thought. Two promising projects that there are numerous trailers for are Hero of Time (yes, it's actually happening!) and The Triforce Prophecy. Check them out on youtube!

_-The Wolfess_


	13. The Good Queen with Ominous Dreams

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twelve: The Good Queen with Ominous Dreams**

The violet silk sheets of the royal bed were twisted in knots around the sleeping princess. A corner of the thick goose-down comforter was draped over her midsection and right leg, the other bare leg dangling off the side of the bed. Lying on her stomach, the princess held a body pillow under her left arm, her head using the right arm as a pillow, and a dainty snore issued from her lips. The bedchamber was lit by the first pink hues of dawn. A bird sat on the branch of a tree in its late spring bloom and sang its little heart out. This sweet music drifted to the princess's ears, sinking into her dreaming mind, and soothed the tense lines on her otherwise beautiful slumbering face.

_She was on an evening hunt in the forest in her leather hunting outfit. Sitting by a creek with her bow lying on the ground, she cupped her hand and scooped water in them, tilting the water into her mouth. The taste was so clean it could only by a dream. Zelda couldn't tell what happened, but suddenly she found herself bolting through the trees. Darkness chased her, crawling from the trees, snapping at her heals. Even her outfit changed—she wore an odd skin-tight blue and white Sheikah outfit with her chest wrapped flat, her fingers taped, and her auburn hair hidden in wraps. The darkness reached her. It crawled up her arms like a swarm of ants and entered through her mouth, her ears, her nostrils, her eyes. It crawled up her legs and swarmed over her surfaces. She fell to her knees, her hands still twitching, struggling to repel the invading force. Trails of darkness traced lines over her ashen skin, her pupils dilating and shining possessed golden-red. The shadows themselves seemed to laugh all around her. It drowned out the sound of her blood-curdling scream._

The sounds of Zelda's own screaming woke her up. Sweat plastered her reddish auburn hair to her face, body covered with cold sweat. As her panting slowed and her eyes adjusted, the princess let go of the sheets clutched in her fists. She closed her eyes and moaned, flipping over onto her back and studying her ceiling. It was painted with figures from the legends: the goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore creating the world with fire, life, and law. The fierce deity of Termina holding the moon on his shoulders, his white hair falling over the blue and red marking on his face, with his pupil-less eyes filled with love. The Sages sealing the demon-thief away, and the death of the Sage of Water. The forging of the Master Sword. The first Princess Zelda of Hyrule riding to war with the shadow people, the Sheikahs. A green-clad warrior with his blue ocarina on the edge of the forest, surrounded by fairies and forest children. Staring at the familiar images made Zelda feel comforted. She had been waking up to the legends and history of her people for most of her life, and she couldn't bring herself to move to the larger bedroom reserved for the King and Queen. When dark visions filled her dreams, these paintings reminded her that there was always hope.

Zelda sat up and sighed, rubbing her face with her hands. The dream was so frequent since the war ended that her servants stopped rushing in to see if she was okay. Pulling her nightgown strap back onto her shoulder, Zelda swung her legs off the side of the bed and crossed the room to a clay jug of water sitting on a table. She poured herself a glass to drink, and then poured the rest into the metal bowl sitting there. She splashed the water onto her face and neck, then took the glass of water and sat down at the window seat to gaze out upon her city in the dawn light. It felt like forever since the princess had walked through the town and talked with her people. She used to walk among them on a regular basis before she ascended to the throne. _Perhaps I will have to pay a visit soon,_ Zelda thought, her breath fogging up the window. She drew a smile and some eyes in the fog, then chuckled at herself and hugged her knees to her chest.

The meaning of her dream eluded her. There were slight differences sometimes, but the shadows were always involved and took over her body. Sometimes instead of turning into the princess of legend's alter ego depicted on her ceiling, she would turn into a wolf. Most of the time she was alone, but sometimes Link was there. The experience of being possessed harkened back to her experience with Ganondorf—the very thought made her shudder and rub her arms—but the crawling shadows seemed to be a different evil all together. It was always in a dark forest. With a sigh, Zelda picked up the journal she kept on the window seat and wrote the date, the dream, and how this one differed from the previous night's. Placing it back on the seat by her feet, Zelda sipped her water and rested her head against the wood with her eyes closed. Her mind drifted.

There was a knock from the far wall of her room. Without waiting for a reply, a panel in the wall slid open and Ikal stepped into the room, closing the panel behind her. Her rich red hair hung in a tight, ribbon-bound braid down her back, tipped with a small barb. The black and dark violet suit she wore was similar in style to that worn by the princess of legend as depicted on Zelda's ceiling, without the shaggy smocks and head wraps. Portions of the suit were bound by leather as tough as armor, and violet cloth wraps were around her forearms, thighs, and fingers. The Sheikah eye with its three eyelashes and single teardrop hung from her neck as a large silver pendant, matching the silver lines on her outfit and teardrops on the corners of her eyes.

Zelda smiled at the red-haired woman and drew her knees closer so that Ikal could join the princess on her seat.

"Good morning, Ika," she said, smiling a little.

Ikal kicked off her shoes, moved the glass of water, and sat on the window seat opposite Zelda, placing her feet on either side of the princess's. She placed one of her hands on Zelda's knee. "Morning, Zel." Zelda's smile still lingered, but her eyes looked distant again as she placed her hand on top of Ikal's and twined their fingers together. The Sheikah frowned and nudged Zelda's knee with her own. "I miss the days when your smiles touched your eyes."

"So do I," the princess agreed. "I miss the days when I didn't wake up screaming every morning."

Ikal traced patterns on the back of Zelda's hand with her violet-bandaged fingers. "Do you have any idea what they mean yet?"

Zelda shook her head. "They're starting to be more uniform. Tonight's was slightly different, but they usually involve wolves, Link, those moving shadows, and the forest. If this is the same thing that happened just before Zant first attacked, then that means whatever it's trying to warn me of is getting closer."

Ikal furrowed her brow. "Even after the Duke accepted?"

"Yes. In fact, they've gotten more tangible since then." Zelda sighed. "I don't understand…the war is over, the evil is destroyed, peace is upon my kingdom, my people are happy." She looked up at Ikal, her cerulean eyes watering. Her voice trembled. "Why am I being tormented, Ika? Is it my punishment for being a poor ruler? To relive the filth of Ganondorf's presence in my body, that horrid violation, over and over again, every night…"

Ikal rolled up onto her knees and gathered the princess in her arms. Zelda didn't shed tears or make a sound; she was far past the ability the cry. She just trembled in her Sheikah friend's embrace for a moment in silence.

As the shaking waned, Zelda snaked her arms around Ikal's waist. "I've missed you, friend," she whispered.

Ikal nodded, gave the princess a squeeze, and let go. "The feeling is mutual. You've been busy since the war ended."

Zelda shook her head. "There is so much that needs to be done, and not enough of me to do it. I need to have a personal day, but I can't afford one."

"And why not?" the Sheikah demanded. "You've made the important announcement, met with the leaders of all the provinces, got repairs started across the land, introduced the new General to the noble class and celebrated with them, and the General got started with the army yesterday. Of all days to take some time for yourself, today would be a good one." Zelda made a sound, as if to protest, but Ikal pressed a finger to the ruler's lips to stop her. "Nope—think about it, Zel. Your people are happy today. They can spare you."

Zelda gave a frustrated sigh and ran her hand through her hair. "Yes, but I haven't met with the advisors yet and they are going to kill me if I wait any longer, Link's estate is prepared for him and I need to let him know he can move in, and I need to make a decision regarding Gorkenheim before the week is out, which means a terrible trial. Speaking of trials, the Crimes of War trials need to take place and that requires organization. Those people can't sit in the dungeon forever. Most of them were just cowardly, and committed no real crimes. My people—"

"—can wait, as can the prisoners and the advisors and the Duke. He's going to be scolded by Auru for being too harsh with the army yesterday anyway, and will have little time to move into a house."

Zelda slumped back. She tapped her fingers together for a moment, brooding off into space, and then sighed. "Fine, Ikal, you are right. Some personal time would be good for me. Can you alert Forrad while I get ready and at least get a note about the estate's location to Link by messenger?"

Ikal smiled and stood up, slipping her feet back into her shoes. "Of course. Would you like me to accompany you today?"

"If you have the time that would be nice."

The Sheikah woman bowed. "I always have time for the princess." Zelda made a face at the word "princess" and Ikal laughed as she exited through the door.

Zelda brushed her hair away from her face and crossed her room to her adjacent bathroom. She turned on the tub's hot water tab, and went to choose her clothing for the day while she waited. Though seemingly a frivolous thing, Zelda truly did enjoy fashion. Men in her society had so many ways of expressing themselves, while women were left with so few. Fashion was their way of leaving their personal mark on the world, or a room. For a woman, her outfits were often all she had to give a room full people an impression of who she was. For this reason, Zelda chose each item in her wardrobe with care, and gave thought and time to how she would appear that day. Since it was going to be an active day, Zelda chose a green tunic with tan pants, white undershirt, and a sturdy yet elegant pair of high boots. As a female tunic, covered entirely in a subtle floral pattern, it hung lower than a male's, creating a skirt effect at the knees, and was cut to give a practical yet flattering v-neck bodice. The shirt that went underneath was thick, with sleeves that hugged tightly to her arms until just above the wrist, where the lace would lay over a pair of smooth riding gloves, and more lace would show tastefully from the tunic's bodice. The outfit would be cinched together with a gold-plated leather belt, and had a light matching cloak to protect against the morning chill.

Laying out these articles, the princess removed her nightgown and tossed it into a chair in the closet, and then exited to the bathroom. She turned off the water and tested the temperature with her foot, then lifted her hair and eased her pale, smooth body into the warm water. She hissed through her teeth a little as her skin adjusted, then set the weight of her hair over the side of the tub behind her and relaxed. The heat seeped into her knotted muscles and unclouded her mind, leaving it empty of thought. As guilty as she felt for taking a personal day, Zelda knew that she needed it in order to keep her sanity.

She couldn't tell how long she soaked in the pleasant water, for she had dozed off until a soft knock on the door brought her back to her senses. Ikal slipped in, a large towel over one arm and a smile on her face.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" the Sheikah said, perching herself on the edge of the tub.

Zelda chuckled and lifted her hand out of the water, placing it on Ikal's knee. "Of course I am. I just wanted to take a quick soak before going out."

Ikal tossed the towel to a hook on the wall and stroked Zelda's hair with her other hand. "And take a nap as well, I see."

Zelda closed her eyed, a smile curling her lips. "I am tired deep in my bones. I can't seem to get enough rest this past week."

Ikal used her fingers to brush tangles and knots out of the princess's auburn tresses. "Which is why you are taking today off. I have prepared everything."

Zelda rested her head back against Ikal's hand, eyes still closed and a drowsy edge to her voice. "And that entails…?"

"Horses and provisions, certainly, as well as weaponry because if I know you at all you will want to spend some time practicing. I spoke to Forrad about clearing your schedule and your whereabouts for the day, as well as the issue of Sir Link's estate."

At that Zelda opened her eyes. "I did so want him to be able to move in today. He has waited quite a while, and the estate has stood empty for many years."

Ikal nodded. "Forrad is going to handle the task himself. He's going to take a team of strong men, some carriages, and such to move the Duke's belongings, and while they are doing that he will give the historical run down."

"Will he pass along my apologies for not being present myself?" Zelda said.

"Of course."

Zelda closed her eyes again and nodded. "Good. I will plan to meet with him late this evening I think to pass along the Hero's Journal."

"I'm sure he will appreciate that." The red-haired Sheikah reached over to the small table and grabbed the brush sitting there, shifting on the edge of the tub to get better access to the princess's hair. She began brushing the long tresses, humming an old lullaby.

Zelda relaxed for a while, trailing her fingertips along the surface of the water, and then opened her eyes to study Ikal's face. "If you keep humming and brushing my hair I _will_ fall asleep."

Ikal chuckled. "Maybe I want you to."

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "So you can drown me, I'm sure, and make all my nobles dress in Sheikah combat garb."

Ikal shuddered and shook her head, sticking her tongue out. "Yuk. No thanks."

Still giggling a little, Zelda's features softened. She reached out of the water and placed her dripping hand on her friend's cheek, turning the girl's face down toward her. Ikal stopped brushing, and Zelda sighed. She placed the tip of her finger on one of the silver tears tattooed by Ikal's eyes. A droplet of water slipped from Zelda's finger and ran down the Sheikah's cheek.

"This one is new, friend. What is it for?"

Ikal reached up and pointed to the other tear. "This one is for the first extinction, in the time of our Matriarch, Impa the Sage of Shadow." She pointed at the other one. "This one is for the second."

Zelda looked down, hands clasped together in the water, and whispered, "Both of which were my fault."

"No, not your fault!" Ikal said. "_You_ weren't alive for the first, and what more could you have done for the second? If you don't stop blaming yourself for everything that went wrong, Zel, you will never sleep peacefully again."

"You've read the journal, Ikal. The spirit of the Princess of Destiny lies within me, and she made the decision that led to your people's destruction. I share in some part of that because I share with her in all things."

Ikal furrowed her brow. "I _have_ read the Hero's journal, and it was only a direct result of her decision in the timeline that got destroyed. The fact that it happened again in the wars in our timeline means that it was the Goddesses' will—a fitting punishment for our crimes. Not your fault."

Zelda sighed, staring at the water. After a few moments, she looked back at Ikal. "Perhaps, but even so that doesn't rule out my responsibility in this war. I shouldn't have asked for your people's help. I should have read the signs and known what was going on. I failed you." Ikal turned her red eyes to her hands and didn't respond. Zelda laid her finger on the new silver tear again. "There's nothing I can do to make this right. I am so sorry…"

Ikal closed her eyes, then reached up and placed her hand over Zelda's. There was a slight trembling in her lower lip. Her jaw set, and her face became tense. A few deep breaths later, her features relaxed again and her eyes caught Zelda's sad gaze. She took the princess's hand in both of hers, leaned forward slightly, and spoke with earnest passion. "The dead honored you with their dying gasps at the hands of Zant. The last beats of their hearts were for love of you. Not your father—_you_, Princess Zelda of Hyrule. They would not wish for you to carry the burden of their deaths in your soul, and they would not wish for those of us who survive to break ties with you. As a Sheikah it is my destiny to be as close to you as your shadow. What's more, you are the only hope we have left for survival. Without you to serve, we lose our purpose. Without purpose, we will fade away. If we learned anything from the first extinction that was it."

The princess's eyes were red with tears. She shifted onto her knees in the lukewarm bath water and threw her arms around Ikal. Clutching the Sheikah woman, she added the moisture of her tears to the water from her wet skin already soaking the other girl. Ikal hugged her back, crying silent tears of her own into the princess's fragrant hair. The names of the Sheikah dead went through each of their minds, and the two women unwilling to cry honored them with tears.

!

Zelda pulled back and sniffed, a smile on her face. "I have to get out now."

Ikal wiped her eyes and stood, taking the towel and holding it open for Zelda. "If you want to get out of town before the aristocracy wake up."

Zelda got out of the bath and held her arms up while Ikal wrapped her in the towel. "Shall we go then?"

Ikal bowed a little. "I'll wait in your bedroom."

Zelda nodded and went to her closet, hurrying to dry herself off and dress. She brushed her hair and wrapped it in a similar manner to Ikal's, flung the cloak over her shoulders, and exited to the bedroom. The Sheikah turned as Zelda walked in, red eyes looking over the outfit with approval. "You got a new riding outfit?"

"Do you like it?" Zelda spun in a slow circle as Ikal walked over and tugged on portions of it here and there.

"I love it, Zel. Feminine, yet with a masculine twist because of the lack of a dress."

The princess grinned, placing her gloved hands on her hips. "I modified it myself."

Ikal raised one eyebrow. "And how many tailors helped?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Three."

The two women walked out of the bedroom and started toward the stables around the back of the castle. "Of course, because having three tailors do the sewing for you is doing it yourself." Ikal said.

"I directed them on every stitch!" Zelda protested. "Anyway, I plan to show it off in town a bit on our way out and allow the women to get a view of it. I think this women's tunic will catch on quickly. The girls at court have been complaining about how dresses are too difficult to move in. Considering we are entering into an age of freedom…"

"Then there should also be more freedom in dress. Your prowess amazes me, Zel. I never will understand fashion, and have no desire to learn." They nodded to some of the guards as they passed them in the hallways and stairs.

"Luckily, Ika, you will never have to. As the princess, it is my duty to set a fashion trend every now and then. It is another of those social status things to maintain standing amongst my Ladies in Waiting."

Ikal held open the door that exited to the stable yard. "Which I know you enjoy, no matter how tough you try to appear."

Zelda's white mare was waiting for her, fully bridled and saddled, next to Ikal's black and white horse. She tossed her head and whinnied when she caught sight of Zelda. The princess crossed over to her horse and patted its neck, clicking her tongue a bit in its ear. She turned to the nearest stable hand. "Please fetch the Hero's journal from the library for me, and have someone in the kitchen prepare a picnic basket." The young boy bowed and ran off. Zelda swung up into the saddle and threw a leg onto the other side of the horse.

Ikal smirked from atop her mount. "Riding like a man, are you?"

"Too much too soon?" Zelda said, taking up the reins.

Ikal shrugged. "Manners are not my forte, but I do believe the traditionalists will have a goat already with your risky outfit."

Zelda swung her leg over the side. It was a hornless saddle, so the position wasn't as uncomfortable as it could have been. "I don't want to push them too far on a first appearance I guess." As she said this, the servant boy ran out, his cheeks flushed from running, with a large picnic basket in one hand and a leather-bound book in the other.

He bowed and held them out to her, careful to keep his eyes on the ground. "Highness."

She smiled and took them from him with thanks, turning to tuck them into the packs on the back of her horse. The boy hid a blush as he ran back into the stable, which made Zelda chuckle. With that she nodded to Ikal and nudged the horse's side, trotting out of the Castle Courtyards into the town. At the entrance to the town square she dismounted and led her horse by the reigns, Ikal following behind in like manner. Early morning risers froze when they saw her, some gasping and hurrying to bow, others staring wide eyed. Like a good monarch, the Princess nodded to them all and conversed with some. The more aristocratic ladies complimented her on her attire, their eyes evaluating every minute stitch for later copying and adaption. Zelda purchased fruit and vegetables from the venders along the road, to make them feel appreciated rather than because she needed any more, and stopped to listen to the players in the corner of the square. There was a lot of clapping and whooping when Zelda borrowed one player's harp and played along with them for a short song. She even took a turn at some of the game stands, such as the archery stand. Even though she won most of them, she gave her prizes away to people trying before that had lost. The little children tugged at the hem of her dress, and she hugged them tightly and learned their names. Many of them were from the orphanage, and she made a mental note to visit soon.

By the time Zelda made it to Telma's Bar, Ikal had long ago taken the horses to the east gate to wait for her. All of the commotion didn't sit well with the Sheikah, so Zelda gave her leave to go. The same shocked commotion greeted the princess upon entering the bustling Bar.

"Princess Zelda!" Telma exclaimed, leaning over the bar. "What a pleasure to see ya!"

Zelda laughed and crossed over to the bar. "Sorry to drop in unannounced, Telma. How has business been for you?"

"Oh good. A lot better since peacetime came."

Zelda nodded. "I am glad to hear it. I am told that you used this bar to house a resistance group that played a vital role in my kingdom's deliverance?"

Telma crossed her arms over her chest and nodded, glowing with pride. "Yes I did. Auru, as you know, Shad, Ashei, and Rusl. Link as well, but you knew about him."

"I did know about Auru and Link, but I'm so glad to hear that Ashei, Shad, and Rusl are still with us! They have served the royal family in the past, I believe. We are eternally grateful. Do pass along my gratitude. If there is anything I can do for you or them, let me know and I'll see how I can help."

Telma curtsied. "Why thank you, your grace. I'll let them know. Hold on a moment, highness," She held up a finger to Zelda, and then turned. "Hey, Ilia honey! Come on over here!"

Ilia crossed from where she was helping at some tables. "Yes?"

Telma placed a hand on Ilia's shoulder and turned to the princess. "Princess Zelda, this here is the girl who found and tended to King Ralis before Link arrived to guide us safely to Kakariko. Her name is Ilia. She doesn't work here, but she's working off her rent and food for a couple days before heading home."

Zelda smiled at Ilia, reaching a gloved hand to clasp the farm girl's. "I am so pleased to meet you, Ilia! Link has told me much about you."

Ilia curtseyed, blushing. "Thank you, your majesty. I hope that Link wasn't telling you all of the embarrassing stories."

"No, rest assured they were all positive." Zelda paused and got a thoughtful look on her face. "I hear that you are quite good with horses, Ilia. Do you have yours with you?"

Ilia nodded, looking slightly confused. "Yes. I trained him like Link's horse to come at a certain tune, so he's always nearby."

"Good! Would you like to accompany me today? I am taking a personal day for the sake of my sanity, and my bodyguard Ikal and I are taking a ride. We have food enough for three."

Ilia's eyes lit up. "Oh, I'd love to!" She turned to Telma. "Can I?"

Telma nodded, casting a playful glare at Zelda. "Yes. Princess, you're stealing my help from me!"

"I apologize, Telma. I'll let you borrow my General sometime."

Telma laughed, her hair and chest bouncing. "Oh, he's working the night shift!"

Ilia grabbed some things for the day, including her new horse whistle, and met Zelda by the door. The princess exchanged some parting words with various people in the bar, then hurried through the alleys to the gate, where she talked to the doctor and the guard on duty, then finally exited through the large wooden doors and crossed the bridge.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long while I talked with everyone," she said, turning to Ilia.

"Oh, no problem princess."

Zelda touched her arm lightly. "Please call me Zelda. Any friend of Link's and rescuer of Ralis is a friend to me." Before Ilia could respond, Ikal walked up to them with the reigns of both horses in hand.

"That took you long enough," she said, tone slightly accusing.

Zelda laughed and snatching her mare's reigns from the Sheikah. "I happen to enjoy people, unlike you, and especially _my_ people. Not all of us have to be antisocial like you." Ikal gave Zelda a dirty look as the princess swung into the saddle. Straddling it with legs on either side like a man, the princess motioned toward Ilia. "Ikal, this is Link's childhood friend, Ilia. She played a key role in rescuing King Ralis during his sickness. Ilia, this is my personal bodyguard and _my_ childhood friend, Ikal. Most people don't know she exists, so count yourself lucky." This last statement was said with a teasing tone and side glances at the Sheikah.

"A pleasure to meet you," Ikal said, ignoring Zelda's jab and shaking the ranch girl's hand.

"The pleasure is mine," Ilia said. "Let me call Daru." She blew a song into her horse whistle, and the white with black mane and tail stallion was at her side almost instantly, nudging her belly with his soft nose. Ilia and Ikal mounted.

"That is a pleasant tune," Zelda said, nudging her horse forward. "It sounds familiar. What is it called?"

Ilia nudged Daru up next to the princess's mount, Ikal quietly taking the rear. "I heard the Goron leader, Darbus, playing it while I was there. They call it the Forest Song."

"Of course! It used to be called 'Saria's Song' after the first Sage of Forest. The Goron leaders pass the song down as a lullaby for young patriarchs."

Ilia gave her a blank look, raising one eyebrow. "You're full of fun little historical tid bits, aren't you? Link mentioned that."

Zelda chuckled. "I like your frankness. A ruler has to know everything about her people, her allies, and her enemies. Or as close to everything as possible. It lets us know who we are by knowing where we have come from, and keeps us from repeating past mistakes." She paused, frowning slightly. "Or, at least that's the theory." After a moment of silence, Zelda shook her head, cerulean eyes clearing. "Anyway, enough of that. Tell me about yourself, Ilia."

The three horses exited the east gate tunnel and crossed the recently rebuild bridge. The sun rode high in the sky, bathing the field in its light. The warmth of it hit the women's faces, warming and tanning them, and smiles turned the corners of their mouths. Ilia told Zelda about her father, Ordon, and growing up with Link. Ikal took the lead, while the two other women followed behind at a comfortable pace.

"…there was this one time, Link and I were bored out of our minds so he stole Rusl's sword and dragged me through the forest. We got attacked by the monkeys, but not really. I think they just wanted to play with us. Link swung the sword, but it was as big as he was so he just spun in a circle and the handle slipped, sending the sword flying into a tree. The noise startled the monkeys away!" Zelda laughed. The more she listened to this ranch girl's stories, the more the princess liked her. Ilia chuckled, shaking her head. "He always gets himself in over his head. I guess he was born for greater things than a ranch."

The girl's tone was solemn, but she covered it up with a sudden laugh and shrugging her shoulders. Zelda noticed it anyway, and smiled. "He wouldn't be who he is without having grown up on a ranch, with you all. In Ordon he forged his character and obtained his noble qualities. A hero without a righteous and humble character is no hero at all."

"I guess so," Ilia murmured, smiling a true smile.

"Ah, we're here!" Zelda said, spying their destination over Ikal's shoulder. They rode through a string of trees in single file for a while, winding their way through a portion of forest. Before them now was a large glade full of wildflowers. All kinds of the rare golden insects seemed to glitter around the place, giving the meadow a magical look. Ilia was almost afraid to go into it, but Zelda and Ikal dismounted their horses on the outskirts of the meadow, so Ilia followed suit. She patted Daru's neck and told him she would call when she needed him, then hurried to help Zelda and Ikal unload the picnic supplies and weaponry.

"Woah, princess, that's a lot of weaponry. Wow."

There was a long bow, a cross bow, a broad sword, a saber, a scimitar, a hatchet, throwing knives, a dagger, and Sheikah needles.

"It's not like she's going to practice with them all today," Ikal said, situating the weaponry at the base of a large tree. "But we wanted to have them all on hand in case she felt the desire to practice with one or the other."

Ikal stepped off into the forest and brought out a practice dummy hidden in the woods just outside the glade. Zelda and Ilia crossed to the weapons. "I'm best with the long bow, the scimitar, and the needles" Zelda explained. "The scimitar is an ancient Gerudo weapon. The Gerudos are a race of women that died out a century ago, as far as we know. It is possible that they simply trickled into other regions of the world and never returned." She picked up the curved blade, slid it from its sheath, and swung it once in the air.

"Could you teach me?" Ilia asked.

"Of course!"

Zelda, Ilia, and Ikal spent much of the afternoon practicing with the weaponry. Zelda showed Ilia how to use several of the weapons, and then Ikal and Zelda sparred with almost all of them. Finally, when the sun was highest in the sky and sweat rolled off of the women's faces, they spread out the picnic in the center of the glade and began to eat and laugh together, as if they'd all been friends since birth. They told stories to each other, laughed and cried together like women do, and as the sun dipped low in the western sky they became quiet and just lay in the grass.

Zelda was propped up on one elbow talking about the next day's schedule with a half-listening Ikal when she noticed the flash of blue of gray in the shadows of the trees. Her heart seemed to react before her mind did—an ancient recognition of like souls bound by destiny. "Ah, we have a visitor" she whispered to the two other women.

As if on cue, a wolf with blue eyes stepped out of the trees. Ilia jumped and screamed. "What is that beast doing here?" she said, her voice shaking and her eyes drifting to the weapons. The wolf flinched and backed away a few steps.

"Don't worry!" Zelda said, rushing to place a comforting hand on the ranch girl's shoulder. "He's a kind wolf. A lupine friend of mine, so to say. There's no need to be afraid." The princess motioned to the wolf, Link, to come closer. His eyes shifted to Ilia, his head lowered and his tail curled between his legs. He padded over to Zelda, moving slowly and crouching his furry body close to the ground. Ilia backed away as Link stopped next to Zelda and lay down. "See?" Zelda said, stroking the wolf's head. "He's not a tame wolf, but he's good."

"Okay," Ilia said. "I think I'll stay over here, though, just the same."

Zelda looked down at Link, reading the sadness in his blue eyes. Low whimpering sounds slid from his throat. She laid her hand on his head and scratched him behind the ears, like she used to scratch her hunting hounds—they never could resist a good ear scratch. Despite himself, Link's eyes closed in pleasure, and he leaned his furry head into her hand. Ilia watched closely. Ikal looked asleep, though she wasn't of course. Zelda gasped in surprise when Link plopped down and set his large head in her lap, his eyes still closed. She laughed out loud and ruffled the fur on his back. "You're such a dog," she murmured, adding in a whisper, "A very large and human-like dog." Link huffed air out through his nose and made an odd sound in his throat, but otherwise didn't react.

"He does seem very tame, doesn't he?" Ilia said, smiling a little. "Do you think I could scratch his head?" Zelda nodded, and Link opened his eyes, careful not to make any sudden movements. Ilia hesitated, her hand hovering near his head, then gently stroked his fur. Link wagged his tail along the ground. That seeming safe enough, Ilia scratched his ears and relaxed a little. "I've never been this close to a wolf before," she said.

Zelda held back the urge to laugh. "Neither had I," she said.

"How did you meet him?" Ilia asked. Zelda hesitated, and Link gave her a forbidding look, but Ikal spoke before she could come up with a safe reply.

"Zelda, we should head back to the castle now. It's getting dark." She stood up and started gathering up their things. "Ilia, could you help me?" The ranch girl nodded and hurried over.

Zelda caught the Sheikah's gaze and gave her a grateful smile. "Wait a moment," she whispered in Link's ear. Link nodded and moved his head so Zelda could get up, resting it on his forepaws. Between the three of them, the horses were packed up quickly and the women were ready to head back to Castle Town.

"Go ahead, would you?" Zelda said, hanging back as Ikal and Ilia saddled their horses. "I'm going to send the wolf back into the forest. Don't want him following us back to town, the guards would kill him." Ikal nodded and Ilia said okay, then they rode away.

Zelda watched until they were out of sight, then turned to find Link sitting up and watching her. He tilted his head as the princess walked over to him, revealing the cord tied around his neck. She snapped it off and held it at arm's length, backing away a few steps as twilight shadows engulfed the wolf and the man took shape before her.

"Thanks," Link said, his voice rough and husky, like a half growl, as he slipped the wolf stone back into its pouch on his belt.

"It's good to see you, Link. How long have you been in wolf form?" Zelda asked, walking over to her horse with the hero tailing just behind her.

"Well, I had to be there to get chewed out by Auru this morning and see my new house. Thanks by the way. But I was in wolf form last night and most of the day. Why?" His voice was still rough.

Zelda shrugged, reaching up into the packs on her horse and looking around in one. "Your voice doesn't usually sound like it is still a half growl when you turn back." She found what she was looking for and fastened the pack again, then turned around and held out a book to Link. "I promised you at the ball that I would give you the Hero's Journal. I was hoping to call on you tonight to give it to you, so I had it with me."

Link grinned and took it, rubbing his hand over the worn cover. "How do you have this?" He murmured.

"It's the only remaining record of a lost time line, besides the journal of the Princess Zelda of the age. Because of her confirmation of the journal's accuracy, the royal family has it copied at least once each monarchy, sometimes more, and put away in a safe and secret place. Only royalty are allowed to read it, but you are an exception." Zelda smiled and sat down with her back against a tree. Link tore his eyes from the journal's cover and sat down across from her.

The sunset had passed while they were packing the horses and sending the other women back to town, and now the half light of dusk obscured their vision of each other. "I'm glad that Ilia got over her fear. It hurt you to see her afraid of you." Link tore a few blades of grass and didn't reply. "Why did you put your head in my lap?" Zelda asked, chuckling a little.

Link looked at her and laughed. "For one, because you scratched my ears like that! Geez! Taking advantage of instincts." He glared at her, rubbing his ear with one hand. "And two, so that Ilia wouldn't see the Stone."

"Ah, of course. It's not very subtle." Zelda nodded. "And why did Auru scold you today?"

Link grimaced and stuck out his tongue. "Word gets around quickly in Castle Town. He scolded me because I fired one of my captains yesterday and treated my army like moblins."

Zelda laughed, raising her eyebrows. "And why, pray tell, did you do that?"

Link shifted and cleared his throat. "The army has no loyalty, no discipline, no skill, and no bravery. They are an insult to Hyrule, and to you. The captain I demoted insulted you by insinuating that you…" he paused and glanced at Zelda. "He insinuated that you are an incompetent leader whose decisions are unreliable because the war didn't occur until you ascended to the throne. I will not tolerate disloyalty and ignorance in my army, let alone from one of my captains."

Zelda sighed and lowered her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself. She remembered her previous conversation with Link about the situation and his assertion that she was not to blame, but she couldn't help but feel responsible. "If I had been ready my people would be alive. If I had been ready, Midna's people would be alive, and you would be—"

Link grabbed her hand and placed a finger on her lips. "Stop this. You are the holder of wisdom. Don't be foolish." Zelda's eyes widened in surprise to see him looking at her so sternly. "You can't change the past," he continued, "or predict the future, but you can be the greatest monarch Hyrule has ever had today."

Zelda closed her eyes against the burning sensation of tears, cursing her lowered defenses after crying for the first time that morning, and moisture trembled in her eye lashes. Link rocked onto his knees and placed his hands in Zelda's upper arms. He'd been around enough emotional pregnant women, PMSing ranch girls, and little kids to know how to handle tears. Yielding to the invitation afforded by his touch, Zelda leaned her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his chest. Link made soothing sounds and rubbed her back. He knew what it felt like to feel responsible for losing people you loved, and letting them down. It didn't matter whether you could have done something or not, you still felt responsible. Midna's harsh teasing helped him what he was grieving the kids and Ilia, and he would do what he could to help Zelda.

"I'm fine," Zelda whispered, pulling away and letting her hands drop into her lap. "I don't know what's wrong with me today. I'm a little weepy. But thank you, Link." She smiled at him and touched his hand. "You're a good friend."

Link smiled. She had used the word friend so casually, but he liked the sound of it. "There are a lot of women and children in Ordon. I've had a lot of experience." He grinned, a hint of mischief in his smile. "Women cry easily when they're PMSing."

Zelda laughed, wiping her cheeks. "Not all of us!" she protested.

Link stood up and held out his hand to her. "I can see that," he teased.

Zelda took his hand and stood up, then nudged his side with her elbow. "You're terrible!"

"Shall I escort you home, oh weepy one?" Link offered.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "If you must. My horse can carry two." Link adjusted the saddle a little and helped Zelda into it, then climbed on the back. Talking quietly, they rode back to Castle Town, where Link slipped away into the shadows, and Zelda met up with Ikal and Ilia waiting for her by the gate.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Later that night, while the princess tossed and turned with her prophetic nightmares, the hero was up late in the midnight hours, reading the Hero's Journal by firelight.

The halls of his new estate seemed to echo with silence, but it was pre-furnished and Forrad had moved all of his belongings in while he had been away that day, including most of his things from his old house in Ordon. Link chose a small room close to the door and set up his personal belongings. A large fire crackled in the hearth. Link wrapped a soft fur-lined blanket around himself and poured over the pages of the ancient Hero's mind. Each word felt like he had written it himself, and yet also like a new discovery. What began to unfold before his eyes was a sad and grand tale of a war-torn land, a forgotten hero, and the love he could never have.

**Author's Note**:

Next Up: snippets of what the hero's journal says, and then on with the story. The next chapter should explain a lot of my theory on timeline development between Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. As you can tell in the beginning of this chapter, I draw off of this History of Hyrule in my head quite a bit, so hopefully the next chapter can clear that up for you. Read closely, my readers…you never know what hints at future events are being set up now.

In other news, I have FIXED chapters one through eleven! Inconsistencies, typos, et cetera have been fixed (at least as far as I could catch them). No need to reread. The only significant change you would need to know is that the baby is a girl. (It originally said boy. Go figure.) Something else that I find very interesting is all of the countries you all are coming from! Wow!

_In the months of January and February 2009 we had hundreds of readers from all over the world, including all of the following countries:_

USA, Canada, Sweden, UK, Belgium, Mexico, Australia, Colombia, France, the Philippines, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Cyprus, Slovenia, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Norway, Finland, Pakistan, Switzerland, China, Martinique, El Salvador, the Bahamas, and Portugal.

Thanks for reading everyone! You rock!

_-The Wolfess_


	14. The Hero's Journal

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Thirteen: The Hero's Journal**

_Journal Entry One;_

_Maybe if I write it down I won't forget what happened. All that remains of that time is my memory…and hers. She became so different after the war. I was gone for too long. But that is a story for later. Though other people can't believe my story, a journal has no choice but to hold my words, so here is where I will put them._

_My mother and father were Hylians. In the wars that united Hyrule, my father was killed and my mother wounded. She ran to the sacred forest, dwelling of the Kokiri children and the Great Deku, and left me there for the Deku Tree to raise. I was just a baby, so I don't remember any of this. I never knew until the Deku Tree Sprout told me in that other life. For all I knew growing up, I was a Kokiri just like the other children, but I didn't have a fairy so some Kokiri didn't accept me. Mido was my biggest adversary and Saria was my best friend. _

_From here on, most of this has been lost now. The day a fairy finally came to me, was the day everything started. The Deku Tree was sick, and sent me with a sword and shield inside of his trunk to destroy the parasite. Queen Gohma. I killed it, and all the other evil things growing inside of him, but I was too late. He died, but not before sending me with the Kokiri Emerald to Hyrule Castle, and Princess Zelda. _

_Meeting the Princess is when it all really started. _

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Ten;_

_I had pulled the Master Sword and went into a deep sleep. In my mind, I continued to live a dream life. In my dream life I grew up with no knowledge of anything that had happened, other than leaving Kokiri Forest. I met my parents in Castle Town, they raised me, and I knew Zelda very well. When I awoke from that enchanted seven years sleep in the Sacred Realm, the Sages Chamber in the Temple of Light, I was shocked and disoriented. As I shook my head and looked at the strange robed man standing before me, it all came rushing back. He explained that I had been sleeping in the Sacred Realm until the day that I was fit to be the Hero of Time and wield the Master Sword. Navi was there, and I looked down at my new body with wonder. I had been about seventeen in my dream life already, but I lived a different life there, much of it on a place called Koholint Island with the Wind Fish. I was tanned and spent a lot of time on the shore in shorts with Zelda, and my friend Marin. Much of it was already fading, like any other dream. It was as if it never happened. _

_When I took my first step into the Temple of Time, I was having a difficulty figuring out what was real and what was going on, or what I should be doing now that I was here. Then Sheik spoke up from the shadows. A small, slight man dressed in Sheikah garb carrying a harp, Sheik told me where I should go and what might help me. I didn't understand why I felt a tug in my heart when I saw him…little did I know._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Twenty-Seven;_

_Sheik was Zelda. All of this time I had been searching for her and saving her land, and she had been right in front of me. With a flash of light, a blue glow surrounded her and the cloths around her head and body flew away, replaced by an elaborate royal gown and heavy gold plates. Her eyes were blue. That same brilliant cerulean blue that captivated me the first moment I saw them seven years ago. The same eyes I saw in my dreams. She had enough time to talk to me and give me the light arrows, but just when I was about to cross over to her, tell her how much I had missed her and all I had experienced, hold her in my arms…Ganondorf. _

_Again, he stepped in and stole what I loved. First the Great Deku Tree, then my childhood and my life, now Zelda? There was no more running. I had freed all of the sages and grown in power. I would end him, once and for all. _

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Twenty-Nine;_

_Ganondorf's blood covered my sword and my clothes. We crossed the rainbow bridge and Zelda let me bathe in the river, washing all of the filth away. She was as tired as I was—I had never seen magic like what she possessed before. She was amazing. There were so many questions I wanted to ask her about her life during the seven years I was sleeping, and about Sheik, and the King. How did everything go so wrong? But while I bathed and she napped on the grassy hillside, all I could do was watch her and wonder. I had come to terms with my lost dream life. The life I lived now, as the Hero of Time with Zelda, was better than any fake life. I wondered, in the back of my mind, what it would have been like to really grow up. A dream could never be better than the smells and sights and surprises of real living. I missed not knowing anything about battle, or evil. Innocence…_

_Every time I looked at Zelda, though, I knew I'd give up those seven years again for her. I didn't fully understand why. In so many ways, I was still a child not ready for love or responsibility. When she woke, there was a sadness in her eyes that I couldn't understand. I had killed monsters, evil beings with no souls, but she had seen her people die and their homes taken away from them. She had seen them tortured and turned into mindless redeads, which would later be killed by my sword. I didn't understand that then. I hadn't really experienced much death, hopelessness, or loneliness yet, as I later did. _

_She took me to a secret place in the sky. There, she told me how everything went wrong, her mistakes, and that now that the war was over she would send me home to regain my lost time. I started to stop her, tell her that I don't care about the lost time as long as I could be with her…but the sadness in her eyes stopped me. If it would her put her heart at ease to send me home, then I would go home. I gave her the Ocarina of Time, and she sent me back. I still wonder if it was the right thing to do. _

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Thirty;_

_The first thing I did when I went back was see Zelda. She turned around with that familiar shocked expression on her face—but instead of launching into a story about her dream, like she had when we first met, she ran across the field and launched herself into my arms. What was going on? Did she remember me? How was it possible? _

"_Do you…remember?" I asked. _

"_She came to me in a dream…my other self. She showed me everything. I don't really remember you, but I remember what she showed me of you and her, in the lost time. She warned me about my other dream, and about Ganondorf, and what I was planning. How it would turn out if I did, and what I must do to properly protect the Triforce and protect Hyrule."_

_I didn't completely understand, but she knew everything that had happened, even if she didn't completely know me. That was all that mattered. In the days to follow, Princess Zelda was able to use the advice of my lost Zelda to convince her father of Ganondorf's betrayal. The Gorons, Zoras, and Kokiri were not attacked by Ganondorf because he was banned from Hyrule and troops were posted outside these areas to ensure their safety. The Deku Tree didn't die. _

_I went back to the forest and none of the Kokiri could remember me leaving. I told them that the Deku Tree said I was really a Hylian. I tried to tell them that Navi left me, but they didn't remember a fairy ever coming to me in the first place, and laughed. Mido made fun of me as usual, and said that I was dreaming. I stayed with them for a while, enjoying my friends and the healthy Deku Tree, but in my heart I wasn't ten years old—I was seventeen. I was the Hero of Time. I had killed countless monsters, destroyed the evil king, and rescued the princess. I had lived two lives already: the dream life, the shortened Hero of Time life, and now a third one? I had been all over Hyrule and the lands directly surrounding it with my best friend, a fairy, who had now left me for no reason. I missed her. I wanted to know where she went. I searched all of the forest for her, asked the Great Deku Tree, asked the other fairies, but no one knew where she was. _

_Restless and bored, I left the forest for good and went to Death Mountain to see my brother, but Darunia the Goron Leader didn't remember me. I hadn't saved his people—they had never been in danger. I went to the Zoras, but the King didn't remember me, and Ruto wasn't in love with me—I had never saved her. Jabu Jabu had never been in danger, and so had never swallowed her or left. Not only did they not remember me, but they were outraged that a nobody had barged into their sacred place, and demanded to know how I had learned the royal family's song. I was nearly imprisoned, but I escaped and tried to go to the temples to pray. I couldn't go into them, however, because I didn't have the proper tunics. I didn't have anywhere to go, and no one knew who I was. _

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Thirty-One;_

_The one last place I hadn't been to was Lon Lon Ranch. I set out at night from Zora's Domain and fought the Stalchildren all night. It was such a relief to kill something evil and remember who I was. The sun rose, ending my adventures, and I went to the ranch. As usual, it was very quiet and Malon was singing in the middle of the corral. I didn't go up to her. She wouldn't remember me either. Pulling out my Fairy Ocarina, I played Epona's Song. The horse's head whipped in my direction, and she pranced over to me with joy and rubbed her soft nose against my face. She didn't remember me either, of course, but I knew that she was like that with anyone who played her song. _

"_Hey, who are you?" Malon called, running over to me. "Epona's never warmed up to anyone that quickly before."_

_She used to call me fairy boy. I didn't have a fairy now, so I would have to introduce myself. "I'm Link," I said, shaking her hand. "I've…met her before. Randomly. A long time ago."_

_Malon looked troubled for a moment, trying to remember a time when she had seen me with Epona before, but she gave up and smiled at me. "Nice to meet you Link. I'm Malon."_

_We talked for a long time, getting to know one another, and I scratched Epona in all of the spots I knew she loved. It soon felt as if this Epona was the same one from my other life, and I came to spend a lot of time at the ranch to be with her and some friendly faces. When Malon's father heard that I had nowhere to stay and was really good at helping with the horses and the chickens he offered me a room, if I would help out around the ranch. _

_I went with them on their next trip to the castle to deliver milk. Me and Malon were pretty good buddies by then, like brother and sister really. She covered for me while I slipped away and snuck into the Zelda's garden again. I was lucky to find her there, because she was just coming into it from a side door. _

"_Link!" she called out happily, running over to me and hugging me again. Impa was right behind her and gave her a reprimanding look, but Zelda ignored her caretaker and hugged me anyway. "Oh, I've missed you so. I'm so glad you're here! Tell me, how has your new life been?" _

_I opened my mouth to say good, but I couldn't lie to her. Her face looked so innocent. "Terrible," I admitted. "I'm not the same boy I was, Zelda. My body is ten, but my soul is seventeen. No one remembers me, no one respects me. King Zora threw me in prison when I entered Zora's Domain with your lullaby without a purpose, and Darunia had no idea who I was. Saria and all the others are just kids, completely innocent with no idea of what pain or sadness or loneliness is. The only other friend with me through everything, Navi my fairy, left me and I don't know why. I feel alone for the first time." I looked at the ground, and Zelda took my hand silently. "I left the forest. I couldn't stay there and just go back to my old life as if nothing happened. I'm a Hylian, not a Kokiri. I'll grow up, have grown up. They never will."_

"_Where are you staying, then?" Zelda asked, concern in her eyes._

"_Malon and her father, Talon, have let me stay with them on the ranch as long as I work a little for them and help out." _

_Zelda smiled, nodding her head. "They're nice people." She was still holding my hand, a little blush on her cheeks, and I smiled at her. We sat on the steps. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Her intentions were good. I'm sorry that coming back has caused you so much pain."I nodded my head, but I didn't reply. "Do you still feel lonely when you are at the ranch?" _

"_Yes. Epona's there so that's a bit better, and Malon is great. But yes." _

_Zelda frowned, then got a thoughtful look on her face. She was such a cute, innocent child. "If I convince my father, would you stay at the castle with me?" _

_My heart leapt. "Yes!" I immediately said, jumping to my feet. "But how would you do that?"_

_Zelda grinned, her eyes twinkling. "You're an orphan, right? Your parents were killed in the wars when we were just babies, at least that's what my other self told me. Well, there is no orphanage in Hyrule and you have no relatives to take you in, like the others. So I'll tell him that you have been in the forest, but the Deku Tree sent you away because you're too old to live with them now, then ask if you can live in the castle and be taken care of by the servants." She lowered her head a bit. "I am afraid that the servants' quarters is the best I'll be able to do. You're not royalty, after all, but we would be closer." _

_Work there, work here, what was the difference to me? She knew me. When I was around her, I felt less lonely. The process only took about a week, and then I said goodbye to Talon and Malon and headed to the castle. Malon sent Epona with me, as long as I promised to come visit often._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Thirty-Three;_

_I lived in the castle for two years, and it was good. I did get to see Zelda quite a bit. We became the best friends anyone had ever seen her have. Being the Princess of Hyrule, however, cause her to be busy most of the time, and I was still lonely and confused. I wanted to know where Navi was, and why she left me. I wanted to know if I was still a hero, or if I was just like anyone else. Zelda knew that I was getting restless, but she didn't say anything. One day I made the decision to leave and go find Navi, so I packed up some of my things on Epona, took the Kokiri Sword and the Hero's Shield that Zelda had forged for my birthday the year before, and went to her garden. _

"_You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?" Zelda said. She turned around, holding something in her hands over her heart. "Even though it was only a short time, I feel like I've known you forever. I'll never forget the days we spent together in Hyrule…and I believe in my heart that a day will come when I shall meet you again… Until that day comes, please, take this." She held it out to me, and I recognized its blue glint. The sacred Ocarina of Time. I just stared at it in wonder. "I am praying…" she paused, as if rethinking her words. "I am praying that your journey be a safe one. If something should happen to you, remember this song." She brought the ocarina to her lips and closed her eyes. "This song reminds me of us…" she whispered, then played the familiar notes of the Song of Time. Even my eyes stung with tears. When she finished, I took it from her and held it to my chest, then hugged her tightly. Neither of us said goodbye. _

_I got on Epona and slowly walked away, and the last thing I heard Zelda say was "The Goddess of Time is protecting you. If you play the Song of Time, she will aid you…"I had no idea how much this would help me in the twisted land of Termina I fell into._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Thirty-Five;_

_One day I was traveling through a very distant forest far away from the land of Hyrule. I'd been traveling for a long time, so I was sleepy and slouching on a slow-moving Epona. Next thing I knew a glitter in the trees caught my attention. I snapped awake as it buzzed toward me, and my heart sped up. "Navi…?" _

_But there was a second one, and neither of them were blue. They rushed straight at Epona's face, scaring her enough that she reared up and I fell off. I was unconscious for a while. When I woke up there was a Skull Kid dressed in strange clothing and laughing with the Fairies. He stole the Ocarina of Time and played it. When he noticed I was awake, he turned around and tried to hide it behind his back. I lunged at him, but missed and he jumped on Epona. She bolted of course, but I had enough time to grab onto her back hoof. I held on as long as I could, but the pain finally got to be too much for me and I let go. They disappeared inside of a hole in a tree. We were in this strange, mystical grove. Something in the air here was odd, but I didn't know what. I blindly ran after them into the tree, and ended up falling down a hole inside of it. _

_It seemed like I fell forever. Colors in odd shapes passed by me, as if I was entering something. Next thing I knew I landed on a soft Deku Flower by an underground lake inside the tree. I looked down, expecting a Deku to come out of it, but none did. Lights flashed on across the water—Skull Kid. He said Epona was a stupid horse, then got irritated at my persistence and turned me into a Deku Scrub. Deku Scrubs were surrounding me, chasing me—terrified I tried to run away, but the giant one caught up and the little ones swarmed over me. Next thing I knew I looked in the water and I was a Deku Scrub. I screamed and shook my head. How could this happen to me? What did I have left now? I wasn't even Hylian anymore! I wasn't even human! No sword or shield, no Hylian body, no past, no future…my entire identity was gone. _

_Gone. Everything, everyone, gone, and I was completely alone with the stupid fairy who tricked me in the first place, trapped in this upside world with a mission from a crazy mask salesman to retrieve what I had lost and Majora's Mask, then he would turn me back to my true self. What could I do but say yes? I had three days to get the Ocarina back, and three days until the moon crashed into the world and killed everyone. _

_What had I gotten myself into now? Oh Goddesses…_

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Forty-Six;_

_Now that I had awakened all of the giants, united Anju and Kafei, saved the Romani Sisters and their ranch, and many others recorded in my Bombers Notebook, I knew it was time to save Termina and have the great final battle. I felt just as strong as I had been in my other life, after I saved Hyrule—full of magic, heart containers, weaponry galore, and some things I didn't have then—masks, each with their own individual power. I slowed the flow of time on the first day and went to a secluded place to be alone. Meeting everyone twenty times each got tiring, and I wanted time to prepare myself. _

_I had many friends in my other life, including the nine sages who gave me their power and made me strong enough to destroy Ganondorf. When I came back, I lost all faith in friends or belief in myself, or others. I lost my identity, and my hope along with it. When I first came to Termina, it was a land without faith or belief. People didn't trust each other, or have faith in the "old wives tales" their elders told. It was all ancient history, and their rising capitalism was what really mattered. All of the guardian deities seemed to think that it was a land destined to end, and that I alone might be able to save it. All I could think was "I'm a weak, friend-less child with no power. How can I save the land in three days? Especially in the body of a Deku Scrub, of all things! I could barely walk right, let alone save the world! _

_When I got the ocarina back, however, I remembered Zelda and what she had said to me when I left her in Hyrule. In desperation, I played the Song of Time thinking "if I still have your favor, Goddesses, please help me…" Next thing I knew it was the first day all over again, and the Mask Salesman turned me back into a Hylian. The spirit of the Deku Scrub was trapped in the mask, easy to take on and off. I felt as if my true identity was being restored to me…Hero. _

_So I grew in power and saved the land from its evils. All of my work was reset when I played the Song of Time, but I maintained my essential items, masks, and strength. It was depressing, this sense of constant failure by resetting time. The death all around me loomed ever before me. I got a crash course in the death of innocents in Termina. There was the kamaro dancer's ghost that I put at rest, and the Goron elder frozen in the blizzard, who drowned when the snow melted I'm sure. Then there were Lulu's eggs on the days I didn't save them. The spirit of the dead soldier in Ikana, the Garo whose souls had no rest, and the little girl and her father in the Music Box House consumed by the Gibdo prowling outside. I've saved them all once, but then I have to reset time and they die all over again._

_The most morbid deaths were those of the spirits in my three masks. The Deku Butler's son is dead, a tree-looking statue in the maze between the worlds. I'm sure that Skull Kid, under the influence of Majora's Mask, killed him and stole his spirit on his way into my world, then put the spirit on me to trap me inside of his body. The spirit was then put at rest by the Song of Healing and held inside of my mask. Every time I put the mask on I can't help but feel like I have put on the dead Deku's corpse and walk around in it. The Goron mask is the spirit of the Goron Hero, Darmini, who died trying to save his people from the evil in Snowhead Temple. At least the gaping wound on his ghost's belly isn't on mine. I actually watched the third one die: the Zora guitarist, Mikau, who had the blood of Zora Heroes in his veins. He died trying rescue Lulu's eggs from the pirates. I dragged him to shore, listened to his last song, and put his soul to rest like the others—sealing his spirit in the Zora mask. These other forms can be very fun, but at the same time it feels slightly morbid to be wearing someone else's body and using their abilities. _

_Although I did save Termina, the process of saving Termina saved me. I regained my identity and re-learned how to have faith in people. I had to have faith in the owl to jump into the abyss and get the Lens of Truth. I had to trust that Kafei was going to come and I hadn't missed something to see them reunited at the last moment before the world ended. I had to trust in the abilities of my new bodies to do what I needed them to do to save the world. Most importantly, I had to believe that the world could be saved, the goddesses were on my side, and one day I would get home. Skull Kid didn't understand why the giants left and got angry. I did the same thing, but in that moment before I finally defeated the evil mask, I decided to trust Navi and end my quest to find her._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Forty-Eight;_

_The spirit of Majora was dead, and the mask was powerless. I had won, with the help of the fierce deity mask. This mask with its empty eyes and strange markings didn't give me a feeling of evil—after all, what was the bad guy of a bad guy if not the good guy? He gave me a feeling of complete, unswerving faith and belief—he stood for everything I had learned in Termina, and against all of the doubt Majora stood for. When I came down from the moon it was the middle of the day, and I still wore the fierce deity mask. The moon rushed back into the sky, the giants departed for their four corners after reassuring Skull Kid of their continuing friendship, and I looked down from the entrance of the tower to see all of the residents of Termina streaming in through the entrances to gather there. There was silence as they took in my large, strange form. Suddenly they erupted in applause, shouting with joy and scrambling over each other to get to me. They all looked so small in this armor-clad body. _

_The mayor was pushed through the crowd by his wife. He quietly thanked the giants for holding the moon up even though they had already left, and then thanked me for killing the evil and sending the moon back. He started to call me a god, but I stopped him. My voice echoed in an unearthly way. "I am not a god," I said. "I am...a messenger of the three Goddesses. Din, the goddess of power, Nayru, the goddess of wisdom and time, and Farore, the goddess of courage sent me to rescue you from the evils of Majora's Mask. The imp was merely a pawn of the evil mask he wore. Thank the Goddesses—they are the ones who gave this land its guardians, the four giants. Believe in the Goddesses, trust them, have faith in them, and honor them. Have faith in each other as well. This is why I came—to instill faith in Termina." _

_They were quiet, and I had said my peace. I hefted the helix sword over my shoulder and leapt down from the tower. A couple people gasped and backed away. _

"_Wait!" It was Kafei, standing with his arm around Anju and looking his proper age, who spoke up. He hesitated when I looked at him. I tried to make my face look gentler. "Please, sir," Kafei said, "I feel as each one of us owes you a huge personal debt. Please honor us with your presence, and let us hold a celebration in your honor." _

_I smiled and said that I would, but there were some things I had to take care of first. I gave the mask back to the Mask Salesman and thanked him, and said goodbye to my new friends. I broke the news of Mikau's death to the Zoras, Darmini's death to the Gorons, and told the Deku Butler where his son's remains were. Donning the fierce deity mask again, I dwelt among the Terminians for quite a while, and taught them many things about faith, the Goddesses, and the Triforce. I don't think they fully got it—on some level, they still held me in higher reverence than the Goddesses. At least I was trying. _

_One day, aching for my homeland, I took off the mask, mounted Epona, and left Termina, heading in the direction of the forest. Somewhere in this world was Hyrule, and I would find a way to get back to it. The forest seemed like a good place to start._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Sixty-One;_

_So, here's a summary of what I just wrote before I move on to the next part: I had spent four years traveling Termina's world for Hyrule before I realized that the only way I would ever make it back was the way I had come into it. I then spent the next three years trying to get back up the magical abyss I'd fallen through. Brute force with the Fierce Deity didn't work, and I couldn't scale the walls by hand. So I traveled in search of some contraption or magic that would allow me to fly up the dark abyss. Even Termina's world didn't have the technology to fly straight up, but I did find a spell in the distant land of Holodrum. Now nineteen years old, I was well known in Termina as Link. I had worked there for a time, and lived there. _

_Now, on to the next chapter in my life. I had a good life there in between all of my trips around the world, even though I never did talk much to people. My actions spoke for me most of the time. Once I found a way to get back up the shaft, however, there was no reason to stay there anymore. My place would always be in Hyrule, not Termina. I packed up my things and put them on a cart behind Epona, then led us through the door and the maze to the wall. Straight up was the entrance to Hyrule. I cast the spell on myself, Epona, and the cart, and we floated up. It was slow and hard to control, but it worked. When we got to the top, I grabbed on to the ledge and used all of my strength to drag us onto solid ground, then ended the spell before we floated up into the sky and got tangled in the tree branches. _

_Hyrule. _

_Oh my beloved country…I was home. The air of Hyrule seemed cleaner, more magical than Termina with all of its technology. I'd forgotten how stale Termina's air had first seemed to me. I swung onto Epona and we ran as fast as we dared to Hyrule Castle Town. I'm sure she was just as excited to see Malon as I was to see Zelda._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Sixty-Two;_

_As we approached Hyrule Field from the forest, the sounds of battle could be heard. My heart seized in my chest. I stopped Epona and unhooked the cart, pushing it behind a group of large bushes and covering it with forest debris. I took five of my masks from it, including the fierce deity mask and the stone mask, my sword and shield, and my bow and quiver. I was grateful that when I had my latest green tunic designed in Termina I added some chain mail under it to help in battle._

_Epona and I reached the edge of the forest, and I surveyed the battle raging on the field. The sides were obvious—the Hylian, Goron, and Zora armies were fighting what appeared to be the forces of Ganondorf. But how could that be? Without the Triforce, Ganondorf couldn't command armies like that. It was impossible. I charged into the battle with a loud cry, shooting arrows at the flying monsters and killing the ones on the ground with my sword, as Epona smashed their heads in with her hooves. We worked perfectly together, as always an unstoppable force. A clear pathway formed behind me—my eyes had spotted the center of the Hylian troops, where I hoped to find the general and give him my aid. _

_When I got close to the center, I was shocked to see my Zelda in the middle of it all, dressed in the Sheikah Garb from my other life without the turban or padding. She was fighting just as hard as the rest of the troops, a group of Sheikahs surrounding her. _

"_ZELDA!" I screamed her name repeatedly as I made my way through the battleground. The Hylians guarding her had seen me fighting for them, so they looked at me in panicked curiosity and let me through. I screamed her name again, and she finally heard. Her eyes widened when they locked with mine—those same blue eyes I still dreamed about. _

"_Where did you come from?" she shouted above the din when I had pulled Epona alongside her mount. We both still fought the enemy back as we shouted to each other. _

"_I'll explain later!" I shouted. "For now I will fight for you, Princess!" _

_She nodded to me, then reached out and touched my hand. I smiled at her, gave her hand a squeeze, then jumped off of Epona and charged into the battle, the masks jangling from a loop on my belt. _

_These monsters were familiar from my lost lifetime, but very different from the monsters I fought in Termina's world. The most effective ways to kill them came back to me as if I were remembering a dream. I let these instincts rule my fighting methods, and observed the larger flow of battle. Our close proximity to the castle made it obvious to me that Hyrule was losing this battle, and perhaps the war itself. Everyone seemed to be losing ground, the Hylians, the Gorons, and the Zora alike. Their weary faces were differing expressions of terror, desperation, and hopelessness. If I had learned anything about war, it was that without hope you would fail. I would not let that happen. With a loud battle cry, I grabbed the fierce deity mask and put it on, suffering the agony of the transformation for the first time in a long time. I had not had much reason to use this mask since saving Termina. I wanted to save its power for when it seemed to be most needed. This failing battle and the disheartened people of Hyrule counted as one of those times._

_Even the Hylians screamed when I put it on, and towered above their heads—large and frightening with my empty, furious gaze. The monsters close to me tried to run away, but they were dead before they took two steps. I used the magical properties of the helix sword to attack large portions of the enemy troops. Seeing the enemy falling back, the Hylians seemed to take heart. After a while of this, I moved toward the Goron forces, put on the Goron mask, and fought with them. My fiery punches and spiked charges through the enemy ranks turned the tide of their battle, and they charged forward with renewed hope in victory. Joining the Zora ranks with my Zora mask, I accomplished a similar goal among their ranks. This would be my method of war for most of the battle. The air became charged with hope rather than desperation. The enemy was falling back. _

_Finally, a rough horn blared from far behind enemy lines. The monsters immediately turned tail, and retreated. Our own trumpets resounded a victory song, and our forces shouted and killed however many of them they could reach. I was toward the front of our lines at this point, and I donned the Giant's Mask. The enemy screamed, and our forces gasped. I towered above the trees, almost as tall as Termina's four Giants, as I stomped into the enemy forces. Knowing that none of our men were in those retreating ranks, I killed them with my sword and my boots—hundreds fell with a single swipe. At the entrance to the Gerudo Desert I let them go, sheathing my gigantic sword and taking off the Giants mask. All of the armies of Hyrule, every race, joined their voices together and started shouting and clapping as one. I grinned with pride as I looked at them, not realizing that they were cheering for me as much as they were cheering for the victory itself. _

_The army parted, and Zelda rode through their ranks toward me, two Sheikah's flanking her on either side, with Epona bringing up the rear. Even covered with the gore of battle, she captivated me. Stopping alongside me, she motioned for me to mount Epona and stand next to her. I glanced Epona over when she got to me, noting the small wounds on her legs and side, then mounted her and swung her around to face the troops. The Princess raised her hands in the air, waiting for their silence before she spoke. _

"_People and races of Hyrule—the victory won on this battlefield today is yours! Thank you for your faith and loyalty! But there is one other to whom we all owe our gratitude. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost and our beloved Hyrule would be overrun with the Thief's evil forces, far outnumbering our own, this strange green-clad warrior appeared out of the forest! He fought his way through the battle to my side and pledged his loyalty to us. He fought in strange, magical ways that none of us has ever seen before! Gorons, he fought with you as one of your own! Did he give you hope?" A gravely roar went up from the Gorons. "Zora, he fought alongside you as one your own! Did he turn the tide of your battle?" A watery shout arose from their ranks. I hung my head in embarrassment, but smiled as she went on. "Hylians—"they were already roaring and shaking their weapons in the air before she could address them. Her grin consumed her features. "Mysterious warrior," she said, still shouting loud enough so everyone could hear, "what are you called, and from where do you hail?" _

_I cleared my throat and tried to say it loud. "Link, my Lady, from the distant land of Termina." _

"_Thank you, Link! You are a Hero! You have saved our country this day, and we honor you!" A roar went up simultaneously from all around, and Zelda's smile became gentle on me. I wanted to touch her and hold her in my arms, but I knew that now wasn't the appropriate time. Still my eyes followed her as the turned back to the army and shouted "If anyone needs medical attention, our healers are in Lon-Lon Ranch to help you. Thank you all for your loyal service today—it will not be forgotten! If you do not need healing and have no other duties to accomplish, please go home!" They cheered again, and disbanded to their respective legions to debrief and go home. Zelda turned to me and laid her hand on my wrist. "Link, thank you. I have much to take care of, but will you meet me in our garden tonight?" _

_I nodded. "Of course. See you then." I left to retrieve my cart, wash, and attend to Epona and I's wounds._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Sixty-Three;_

_Later than evening I waited in her garden with the Stone Mask on. Other than there being more plants and bigger flowers, it hadn't changed much. It felt more secluded than before. When Zelda entered through that same side door, she obviously couldn't see me. She looked around for me and frowned, then moved to the steps to sit. Her dress made a soft sound as it slid along the grass, and her feet were bare. Her golden hair shimmered in the moonlight, hanging loose down the open-backed dress. _

"_I'm here," I whispered a moment before I took the mask off. Zelda jumped a little. "Sorry. It seemed safer," I added. She smiled. Her hands moved as if to push up from the step, but she hesitated and just looked at me. Her eyes roamed over every inch of my figure, then rested on my face for what seemed to be a long time. I, too, observed her. Zelda had grown up well, developing into a beautiful woman. Her beauty was unique. She was gentle and sweet-looking like I remembered, but there was a strange underlying hardness to her that I didn't understand. Her face seemed tense around the eyes, eyes that were deeper and more complex than I remembered. _

_My entire chest felt like it was aching and heavy, and before I realized it I had crossed the distance between us. I dropped to my knees in the grass in front of where she sat and consumed her in my arms, pressing my face into her stomach. There was a knot in my throat. Zelda gasped and her body tensed at first, but I held on until she relaxed. Her arms latched around my neck, and she rested her forehead on the top of my head. _

"_I have missed you, Link," she whispered. "You have been gone far too long…"_

_I felt like I couldn't speak, but the words choked out somehow. "I've been trying to get back to you. Oh Zelda, I've been trying for eight years…"We held on to each other for a long time. I don't know how long. My heart seemed to shiver—I was home. In that moment in her arms the two sides of myself, the Terminian Hero and the Hero of Time, combined into one man. _

_Zelda pulled back, and so did I. Her eyes were moist as she patted the step next to her. When I scooted onto it, she turned toward me. She took my hand in hers, twining our fingers, and laid the palm of her other hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes and placed my free hand over hers. They weren't as soft as I thought they would be. Rather, her hands were rough and calloused, as if she had done a lot of hard physical labor with them. They weren't as scratchy and thick as the carpenters' hands, or even my own. More like Cremia's hands. _

"_Your face is harder than it was when you were seventeen in that other life," she said. "Your eyes carry more burdens, and your hands are rougher." _

"_I could say the same about you," I replied. _

_Zelda frowned a little and averted her eyes, then said "Tell me about the land of Termina that you mentioned on the field, and about your adventures. Did you find what you were looking for?"_

_I told her the story. It seemed to take hours to go through everything that happened when I left on my quest, fell into Termina, saved Termina, and went looking for a way to come back. When I had finally finished, I paused a little for digestion and answered her questions. She had a lot of them. _

"_You still didn't answer the last part of my original question. Did you find what you were looking for? The thing that cause you to leave here in the first place." I had been telling her stories for so long, she was lying in my lap and I was stroking her hair._

"_Yes," I said, "but not exactly. I was looking for Navi, but I told you about Termina and Skull Kid. I learned to trust my friends and have faith. Just because there is distance, doesn't mean that she loves me any less. I realized when I had finished that what I was really looking for was myself—my faith, my belief, my courage, and my identity. I didn't know who I was anymore, or what I had to give the world. I had lost it all. I found that in Termina." Zelda's smile was proud, but sleepy. I touched her cheek with my forefinger and smiled. "I was also looking for friendship and understanding. I had a lot of good friends in Termina, that's for sure, but…" I stopped and examined Zelda's face again. Her eyes were closed, but she was listening. "The thing was," I continued in a whisper, "I wasn't just looking for friendship, I was mostly looking for love. You don't understand that when you're twelve. When I saved Termina, I realized that I left what I had set out looking for back in Hyrule." Her eyes opened, and they were filled with trepidation when she looked at me. This confused me, but I had already started so I would finish what I was saying. "I left the one I loved in Hyrule. She was a princess, and she was beautiful and kind. I would do anything for her. I love her."_

_Zelda sat up and scooted away to the farthest side of the step from me. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the grass, frowning with her brow furrowed. My heart dropped like a corpse in my chest. I dropped my head into my hands and groaned. "I'm sorry."_

"_Don't be, please," she said. I felt her hand on my back. "It's not what you think, Link. Look at me." I lifted my head and looked at her. She was smiling in a way I had never seen her smile before. Confused, I was about to ask her what it was then, when she took my face in her hands and got very close. "I love you too, Link. I loved you in our first life when you were the Hero of Time, and I loved you again when we first met in this life. I love you still…" then she kissed me. It was a brief and tender kiss, somehow both passionate and polite. _

_I drew her into my arms, and she laid her head on my shoulder. "What's the problem then?" I asked quietly. She sighed, but this time she didn't move. _

"_I'm royalty, Link. Royalty cannot afford to love like others love…we have to love in secret, because for Royalty marriage is a legal contract. I want nothing more than to fall in love with you and one day marry, have children, and live the rest of our lives together, but I can't do any of that. I can't give you any of that." _

_I was the one who pulled away this time. My dreams of growing old with her seemed to shatter before my eyes. Somehow I hadn't factored in the fact that she was a princess when I was planning all of that out in my head—to me, she has always been just Zelda. There was no way I could be king, no matter all of things I had done for Hyrule and Termina. I could save a million lands and people, but still I couldn't be king. I am too uncultured and wild to bear that responsibility. She could see the understanding in my eyes._

"_I am engaged to be married to the prince of a smaller neighboring kingdom. Hyrule's land will increase, and their resources will help us rebuild our kingdom. We don't love one another, but he's agreeable and it will be good for both countries involved." _

_I was too late. Far, far too late for everything._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Sixty-Four;_

_I was to later learn that there were more important things than love that I was late for. I hadn't wanted to leave without knowing what happened in Hyrule, but I couldn't pursue that conversation any further so I was silent for a long time, and then switched the subject to what had been going on in Hyrule while I was away. This is what she told me:_

_Two years after I left Hyrule, four years after Ganondorf was banished from the land, he broke into the Sacred Realm with dark magic and stole the Triforce. He had spent his entire life searching for the evil magic that would get him in. As in the other life, the Triforce split into three parts—Ganondorf with the Triforce of Power, Zelda with Wisdom, and me with Courage. That made a lot of sense to me. I remembered the day when the familiar power of the Triforce of Courage filled me. I hadn't recognized what it was at the time and dismissed it, but I remembered it. When Ganondorf returned, he amassed a gigantic army of evil creatures such as no one in _this_ life had seen, then attacked Hyrule. While his forces attacked on one side, the Thief, as he came to be known, snuck into Hyrule Castle and killed Zelda's father. Zelda herself was long hidden with Impa by then. She recognized the power of the Triforce due to her experience with it in the other life, so she left the moment in came upon her and hid in the Sheikah village, where they started training her with weaponry and the art of war. Ganondorf thought that he had killed all of the real threats to his reign—not knowing that Zelda was a Triforce recipient—and began to take up residence there, but the Triforce of Wisdom helped Zelda learn very quickly. Soon she went around to all of the villages and races of Hyrule in secret and gained their support. With a plan that could only have been thought of by a Chosen of the Goddesses, they thrust the evil Thief out of the castle and drove him back to the desert. He had had fewer forces then and hadn't mastered the Triforce of Power yet, so it was easier to do._

_Zelda took up the throne of Hyrule quietly and used the Triforce of Wisdom to amass a large army. Her fresh battle tactics against these foes that she knew from the other life gave Hyrule an edge in battle, and she herself led the charges. Seeing her in battle with them gave Hyrule's troops courage. They had been fending off the forces of Ganondorf the Thief ever since, and he seemed content to wear them down with his evil monsters rather than take care of them himself. He allowed them to win, as if he gained some sadistic pleasure from toying with them. Most of the Sheikah tribe were now dead, except for the two that rode at her flanks, one of which I had recognized as Impa. _

_Knowing that these battles were a game the Thief was playing on them, Zelda found the six sages in their own time and awakened them. They were different from the sages that I remembered, and I didn't understand how that could be. They were older men in white robes who wore glowing masks over their faces. I wonder if the difference in the Goddesses' choices of sages had to do with the difference in myself, due to my adventure with masks in Termina. Six sages ready, union with a smaller kingdom planned, Zelda and Hyrule held off Ganondorf and she prayed for my quick return. Without me, she knew they wouldn't succeed. That was the way of the Goddesses. _

_One of the reasons that she was marrying this king from another land was because his lands included a large portion of desert not owned by the Gerudo, and in these lands was a large prison compound with a strange stone and a mirror that created a portal into a damned realm. Zelda visited the lands, saw that they were good and would be a great addition to Hyrule, but more than that she saw a way to banish the evil Thief—if only they could capture him. She knew that the sacred realm was outside of time, and she could not banish two ganondorfs into it, but she could banish him here never to return. _

_Upon hearing all of this and the details of her life, I understood this harder Zelda. Innocence had been stolen from her, and Ganondorf had somehow still obtained the Triforce. Destiny was a cruel thing to us who had no choice but to play into it. Princess Zelda enlisted my help, and as always I bowed my knee and gave it to her._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Sixty-Six;_

_Having bought a house in Castle Town, I spent a lot of time with Zelda. The wedding was to be very soon, and in the mean time she wanted to honor me in front of her people. She tried to give me a Dukedom, the highest rank in the country, but I refused. She tried to make me a general in the army, but when I tried to teach the men how to fight, I could not explain it to them. Never in my life had I been required to explain what I did, and having spent most of my life wandering alone through the world to save it I found that I did not—do not—have the social and verbal skills to teach. Zelda resigned to giving me a medal of some sort and having the sages bless me with their power, as they had in my other life. _

_I took up border patrol to keep an eye out for Ganondorf's troops, being a one-man army with my masks and power anyway. Zelda's marriage took place. I sat in the front row until she walked down the aisle, and I couldn't take anymore. I left and sought out Ganondorf's monsters, slaughtering them mercilessly to abate my inner pain. Once again, my heart took backseat to my destiny. Will the need for my sacrifice ever end? Will I never be able to live and love in peace?_

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Seventy-Two;_

_The last battle was on a Tuesday. I and the army of Hyrule had so decimated Ganondorf's monsters that he himself finally came to a battle. There were two of our troops for every one of his, and the one thing New Hyrule's army had learned from me was where their enemies' weak spots were. While they took care of the monsters, I donned the fierce deity mask and challenged Ganondorf. As I grew in power, my appearance when I wore the mask changed slightly. The symbol on my right pectoral was now a Triforce, and the one on my left was still a moon—this signified my two lives. Over all I looked more mature and threatening than I had when I first put it on. The Thief never did see my real form—we fought, and the fierce deity brought him to his knees. I dragged him unconscious in chains to the prison—the Arbiter's Grounds—and the sages sealed him in the other realm. The Sage of Water was killed in the process. The Thief's remaining forces were locked in the prison and guarded. Without Ganondorf there to awaken them, they lay dormant and were no longer a threat._

_People all over New Hyrule began to tell stories about me, which have developed over the years into local legends. Some of them are about me as the fierce deity holding the moon up over Termina—I still don't know how that story got out, but when I ran into Skull Kid randomly in the forest I was suspicious. Others are about me as a green-clad one-man army, single-handedly winning wars. They like telling the stories so much, they forget to include the fact that they themselves fought as well. I just put the final nail in the coffin. _

_I couldn't quite handle the attention, or the sight of Queen Zelda with her new husband, so I moved out of castle town and took up residence in a small shack on the edge of the forest. I was adept at taking care of myself in the wild, and the quiet was a blessing. There I stayed, living an uneventful life alone for a long time. _

_Within the first three years following the wars, Zelda had her first child, a girl whom they also named Zelda according to Hylian tradition, and then a boy followed. From a distance I watched her with her children, her husband, her people, and despite myself I loved her still. I just couldn't stand to be around her and not be able to love her. Her husband was amiable enough, and willing to conform to Hyrule's traditions completely due to the very young and still tradition-less nature of his own land. A few of his kingdom's ways became incorporated in Hyrulian life, and the kingdom grew and flourished. I knew there was no love between them. Now that their duty to produce two heirs for the throne had passed, they slept in separate rooms and were merely good friends and co-laborers in ruling Hyrule._

_Life was good, and tales of the war and its heroes quickly began to fade. I suspect that in a couple generations only the Royal Family will truly remember them, like in the land of Termina where the young called the old senile and forgot their silly legends and history. I don't mind…whether I am remembered or not, my deeds will live on forever._

—_Link_

_!_

_Journal Entry Seventy-Eight;_

_Zelda came to me in the night dressed in peasant's clothing and a black cloak. She stood across from me and searched my eyes for traces of what had been there in past, her hair spilling over her shoulders like the goddesses' had given her locks of their own hair to crown her. I wanted to tangle my fingers in those locks, and so crossed my arms over my chest. _

"_Link," she said, stepping over to me and putting her hands on my crossed arms. "Do you hate me, Link?" _

_I turned my head away from her, frowning. "You know that I love you. I have always loved you...but love does not matter for us." I jerked away from her touch, crossing to the window and looking up at the stars, rubbing my chest absently. _

"_It matters to me," she whispered, her eyes pleading with my averted face. "I love you, Link, and I miss your company. You are still the closest friend I have ever had." I felt her cross over to me and grab my shoulders, straining to turn me to face her. I sighed, but turned. She stroked my face with a gloved hand. I closed my eyes and turned my lips into her palm, despite myself, hating myself. "My children and you are all that I have left for my heart," she whispered. "Please, do not leave me alone…"_

_I acquiesced, and drew her into my arms. The only time I have ever felt whole is when I am with her. We both knew that I would never deny her anything she asked._

_Our great love affair began that night. Physical touch never went beyond embracing, hand holding, and the occasional kiss, but I was never far from her. I was in the crowd at the balls, waiting to dance with her. I was in her garden with the Stone mask, waiting for her to join me. From afar we loved one another, never able to truly have one another—a never-ending courtship, like smelling cookies but never able to eat them. I suspect that I will live out the rest of eternity serving her from the shadows of time. The regrets lingering in the shadows of my soul will have to be dealt with in the afterlife. In this life, I will serve my Zelda._

_Here ends my story. What you do with it is not for me to say. May the Goddesses guide and protect you, whoever you are._

—_Link_

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

In his mansion, Duke Link of Verdelupo closed the journal and held it to his chest. His mind processed all that he had read. So many things about himself and his adventure made sense now—his life was a completion of the Hero of Time's regrets. Unlike his tragic, wonderful predecessor, this Link possessed the social knowledge to lead and instruct. Link knew that he had not even saved the world by himself. Midna had done half the fighting. Now he was sure of the path his life must take.

He spoke to Princess Zelda about the journal's contents, how it affected him, and what it meant for his life. She told him, "I, too, learned much from that journal as a girl. She loved him, but true love is selfless, and she acted selfishly when she went to his shack in that last entry. Her records tell us that she regretted it for the rest of her life. If she truly loved him, she would have swallow her own emotions and let him live a full life free from regret, rather than the life that he lived in her shadow. This set the tone for my life: to act for others first, and myself last."

**Author's Note**:

These are just excerpts from the journal, not the entirety of it. If the portion about Majora's Mask confuses you, go to Zelda Universe. In their Majora's Mask section, there is a rather long and wonderful theory article by Hylian Dan called _"The Message of Majora's Mask" _that I drew on quite a bit, as I agree with his assessment and have expounded on it in my personal philosophy. In the journal I just stuck to what his article said so that you can go there and read further.

I think there was more I was going to say about it…but I can't remember. I was going to wait a little longer to put this out, but I couldn't wait! It tumbled out of me in such a rush of inspiration I finished it in four sittings. I haven't had that much inspiration on this story since…well, since before my year-long hiatus really. It was refreshing on so many levels. Thank you all very much for reading, and my deepest gratitude goes out to those of you who have reviewed. Your thoughtful comments make me think, smile, and even sometimes laugh. I appreciate it!

Oh, and this chapter is especially great if you listen to the Majora's Mask soundtrack while reading it…that's what I listened to while writing it. ^_^

—_The Wolfess_


	15. Crimes of War

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Fourteen: Crimes of War**

The Hero began in earnest to retrain and re-teach the Hyrulian army. Time passed.  
Days…  
Weeks…  
Months…  
The warmth and green of summer days faded to late fall one twilight hour at a time. The trees of Hyrule put on their colorful robes—reds, oranges, and yellows that blew in chilly winter winds. Such was their tossing that Hyrule seemed to be covered in playful flames that could not burn. Winter's deadly cold was advancing upon the land, and the people hurried to reap whatever harvests remained, praying that somehow, by some miracle, they would survive this winter few were prepared for. The main focus of the Monarchy became winter preparation, and many craftsmen were sent out from Hyrule Castle Town like an army across the land to make war on the encroaching cold and starvation.

General Verdelupo, as the nobility came to refer to him, or simply General Link to the rest of the populace, seemed to be a tireless force of nature. He was firm and strange, intolerant of unseemly behavior, laziness, or disloyalty. He was sometimes short with his troops and his officers, given to sudden, un-meditated or advised decisions when he felt something or someone violated his "Code of Honor". It was so very important to him, this code, that he had Shad help him phrase it eloquently and chiseled the resulting ten laws in a large stone that was placed in the center of the Army Compound where they would always see it. The General even taught them all to read, for some had joined the army because they did not know how, solely so his men could read the Code of Honor and brand it on their hearts. This tablet read:

You will believe in the Goddesses and observe all their teachings.

You will defend Hyrule and the Monarchy at all costs.

You will respect all weaknesses, and will constitute yourself the defender of them.

You will love the country in which you were born and its ruler.

You will not recoil before your enemy.

You will make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.

You will perform scrupulously your duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of the land.

You will never lie, and will remain faithful to your pledged word.

You will be generous, and give freely to everyone.

You will be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

Despite Link's forceful mannerisms and curt, ineloquent speech, the army was growing into a loyal and intelligent unit. Link was always among them. He worked with his captains, training them to be excellent in battle, loyal to the Crown, and lovers of justice. They, in turn, passed on his lessons to their officers, and so forth. When not training the captains, Link moved amongst the men and worked with them himself. He bested the best archer, outran the quickest messenger, pinned the largest soldier on his back, and defeated the best swordsman without the lightest sweat. Though most thought him rather ruthless due to the beastly ferocity in his wild gaze, they knew his heart capable of mercy. Once, when a night guard's wife went into labor just before his shift, the General himself took up the post, taking a paltry hour's nap at dawn before launching into a full day of training. Word of this strangely wild yet tender-hearted hero spread throughout the kingdom. In the eyes of many he grew in favor with every rumored tale, and yet unrest rumbled below the popular surface with whispers of discontent in late night ally conversations.

!

It was a chilly October day and dead leaves crunched underneath Link's boots as he took his leave from the swordsmen's training and strode across the lawn to where the archer's took aim.

"Smithy, straighten your back. Curtman, widen your stance." The soldiers in question nodded their heads and did as commanded. Keeping a close watch on where their arrows landed, Link crossed over to one archer and lifted the man's elbow just before he released the arrow. "Keep your elbow level, Soldier."

The men were taking aim at sturdy targets rigged on ropes and pulleys that would make them move around more. Link had gotten some engineers to help him rig these contraptions for the archers, saying "few of your actual targets will be stationary. You need to be able to hit the bullseye on moving targets." They had been terrible at it for weeks, but in the past month many had made marked improvements. Link walked over to a bow propped on a nearby wooden post, grabbed a few arrows along with it, and took aim with his archers. They stopped to watch him, taking note of his stance and concentration. Each of his arrows hit the targets dead on, as they all expected.

Just then there was a commotion near the entrance to the training grounds. Armor clanked and soldiers jumped out of the way, hurrying to bow or line up somehow. General Link turned to see Princess Zelda walking through the main gate of the Compound, flanked by two guards and dressed in warm furs, a red gown made of thick cloth, and sturdy boots. He immediately dropped to one knee on the ground with his two hands resting on the bow held in front of him. The Archers behind him followed suit.

Zelda smiled and touched the top of his head with a gloved hand. "Thank you, General. You all may rise. Don't let me interrupt your work." Link nodded and stood, making a signal with his hand that told the men to return to their previous activities.

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Princess?" Link asked, with a smile friendlier than his formal words.

Zelda returned his warm expression with a smile of her own. "I wish to speak with you about the War Trials tomorrow, and to visit the new Army Compound. I've heard reports that much has changed these past few months, and so I wanted to see it for myself."

Link gestured to the structures around them. "You are free to look, my Lady, and ask any question." Suddenly, his eyes got a sparkle in them and he grinned. "Princess, could I ask you for a favor?"

Zelda furrowed her brow. "Of course. What would you have of me, General?"

Link walked over to where the archers were practicing and held out the bow toward her. "I was just training with these men, and you, My Lady, are the finest archer I have ever met. I dare say, you rival my own skills. Would you mind showing them how a proper archer takes aim?"

Zelda laughed. "I don't know whether I can best you or not, General, but I would be happy to comply." She removed her furs and held them out to one of her guards, then took the bow from Link with a nod.

"SOLDIERS, ATTENTION!" Link shouted. The men all stopped their activities, fell quiet, and turned to look at him. "Our Princess has been so gracious as to assist me in training our archers. I assure you, she is the best aim in all of Hyrule. Please observe closely."

The archers moved away from the line, and Zelda took aim at the targets. Link stood ready with a hand full of arrows. With three quick movements, she snapped off some arrows and shattered several stationary targets, then hit each of the moving targets dead center. The men applauded, genuinely surprised, but Zelda wasn't done. With a slight smirk, she took two arrows from Link with a nod. With the first she picked off a bird so distant it seemed like a fly in the gray sky, and then aimed the second at a wall. It ricocheted off the wall toward the right, left on another wall, managing to turn almost all the way around, and sailed right above Link's head. His hair flew around his face, and he spun around to see his green cap pinned against a wooden post behind him.

"Hey!" he shouted, running to retrieve it. The soldiers all laughed, looking at Zelda with renewed respect, and a smug grin graced the Princess's face. She held the bow out to Link.

"Here you are, General. Now, you men take note of that move. As you can see, using your surrounds to redirect an arrow's path can be quite beneficial." They all laughed again, and Link glowered at her.

Taking the bow from her, Link raised his chin. "Two can play at this game, Princess. I challenge you—the one to hit ten different targets the quickest is the better archer."

"I accept, General." Zelda held out her hand for another bow. As she took it from the soldier who offered, she leaned toward him and said in an aside, "I must be gracious and allow the General to reestablish his manhood among you, after all. It _is_ unfair to be showed up by a woman." Link glared harder as his own men doubled over in laugher and whispered the Princess's words to the soldiers out of earshot.

Ten targets had been set up as they jested. Without another word the two contestants lined up, each holding ten arrows with different colored feathers to distinguish whose was whose, and took aim. The feathers of Zelda's arrows were green-tipped, and Link's were red.

_Zip—Thwip—Zip—Thwip—Zip—Thwip_

Quicker than expected, the ten arrows were released. A soldier ran over to the last target. A red arrow stuck in it, splitting a green-tipped arrow down the middle. In fact, every target had apparently been hit by the green-tipped arrows first.

"Princess Zelda wins!" he shouted, holding up the split green arrow.

Zelda handed the bow back to the solider with thanks, then retrieved her furs from the guard.

"Okay, that's enough, nothing to see here," Link grumbled. When the men didn't turn away, he raised his voice a little. "Hey, get back to work!" They chucked and jested to one another at his expense as each man returned to training. Zelda's haughty grin got wider, if that was possible. "Fine!" Link said, throwing up his hands. "You're the quicker draw, Princess, I confess."

They began walking toward the General's Study, the two guards following behind. "I won't bring up the fact that not only did I beat you, I did it in a full autumn dress no less."

Link was smiling now. "Yeah, yeah, rub it in why don't you."

"I concede, General, it seems we are matched in accuracy." They chuckled, and commenced to discuss the Army's improvements, and the fixes and changes the Compound had undergone in recent months. As they crossed the middle of the Compound, Link stopped them at the stone tablet. "Princess, I wanted to show you this. Shad helped me phrase them properly, but I found them written in simpler terms in the Hero's Journal."

Zelda nodded, reading the ten laws, and then smiled. "Ah, yes. I remember these."

"I have been teaching the whole Army to live by these." He tilted his head, a thoughtful expression on his face. He looked remarkably canine when he did that. "I think it has made a difference." They moved past the tablet, continuing toward Link's study.

"I could see a big difference right away. The Compound and the men themselves are cleaner and more organized. Despite an unannounced visit, they were dutifully practicing and acted honorably," Zelda said. "The last time that I came to the Compound unannounced, this was not the situation I found. The men sat in the dining hall drinking, or sparring in the fields to see who was better. Their newfound discipline pleases me."

Link bowed his head. "I have had help, Princess. Captain Volc has quite outdone himself, and Auru's instruction was invaluable. I believe that Volc is trying to redeem himself through a little bit of butt kissing." Zelda chuckled. Link opened the door to the study and held it open for her. Zelda and the guards entered, and Link closed the door behind them.

Once all had taken a seat, the Princess folded her hands in her lap and Link leaned back in his chair. "I suppose I should go ahead and inform you of the protocol for tomorrow."

"I'm ready, and will do the best I can."

"Thank you," Zelda inclined her head. "The proceedings will begin at seven in the morning and most likely continue until sundown, with breaks for meals. The room where the proceedings will be held is circular, positioned around the condemned on trial. I will sit in the place of honor, on a raised platform from which I will hear the arguments. I make the final decision. To my right will be a forum of nobles, and to my left a forum of judges and advisors. They are responsible for representing the People. You will sit on a raised platform near my own, representing the Army, and if I have need of your counsel I will consult you. Behind the condemned are wooden risers for the common populace, but many of these trials will be closed to the general public. These are the basics of what you need to know. The only other element usually requested of the General of the Hyrulian Army is that he wear the General's Uniform, but I believe that it was lost with time."

"What is that?" Link asked.

Zelda sighed. "It was a uniform tailored by the King of Hyrule a few generations ago for the General of the Army to wear when representing Hyrule. The Generals wore it to official functions in which they represented Hyrule's military forces, or on political campaigns in which the General represented Hyrule on behalf of the Monarchy. It was a golden suit of armor with emeralds set in the plates, red cloth over chain mail, that sort of thing. During my father's reign, however, I believe that Gorkenheim auctioned it off on the black market because he thought it was useless."

Link looked thoughtful. "Princess, did it run off of rupees?"

"Why, yes," Zelda said, looking confused. "How did you know?"

Link stood up and crossed the room to a chest in the corner. Opening it, he took out the Magic Armor and held up the breast piece. "Would this be it? The rest of the parts are in the trunk."

Zelda stood up and walked over to Link, taking the armor from his hands. "How did you find this, Link?" She asked.

"It was expensive," Link said with a shrug. "They were selling it at Malo Mart when it first took over the castle town store. It looked like sturdy armor, so I bought it." He bit his lower lip. "Uh, I did have it worked on a little while ago," he admitted. "I was tired of feeding rupees to it, so I paid a few craftsmen of various specialties to remove that annoying function. It's just sturdy golden armor now."

Zelda handed the armor back to Link and waved her hand. "That is fine. I am just glad that it has been found, and by the very man who is supposed to wear it!" They walked back over to the desk and sat down. Zelda continued, "If you would wear the armor tomorrow that would be splendid. The only restriction the monarchy has traditionally put on the wearing of the General's Armor is in regards to the crown. This piece is only to be worn in specific times when the Monarch has requested that the General act in the stead of or on behalf of Royalty. If I ask you to wear it, its wearing signifies that your word is as good as my own in whatever situation may call for such drastic measures."

Link nodded. "I understand."

"Good." Zelda sighed. "Well then, I suppose that I must return to the castle and prepare for tomorrow. Will you escort me to the entrance, General Link?"

Link stood and held out his arm. "Of course."

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

In the back alleys of Hyrule an underground market had been thriving for years. Run down shacks were marked by subtle signals that told those who knew what to look for that this was a Shmuck Shack and what was being sold there. A pitch fork leaning against the right doorframe outside a house meant they were selling illegal drugs. If the third prong was bent, it was imported mead. If it was a shovel with three holes, black magic was the ware. If the tip of the shovel was bent, illegal weapons. The Count of Rashak supported most of these illegal trades, but there was one for which he had limited tolerance. The cracked flower pot with a single wilted rosebush. The red pots he didn't mind—even enjoyed on some nights—but the white pots filled him with fury.

Durtain was nine when he first followed his father to Shmuck Shack Alley. It was hidden from the main allies by an unlocked gate and some barrels on either end. The Little Count watched as his father made deals for black magic potions, weapons, and drugs with a growing sense of interest. After what felt like hours of walking around, the former Count of Rashak walked over to a Red Pot shack. Inside there was loud laughter, bad music, and few lights. Durtain followed behind his father, crawling through the dirt and flicking away cockroaches and earwigs. It was a filthy place that seemed to be comprised of many rooms blocked off from one another by curtains. There were three stories above ground, and two stories below ground. Later, the Count would discover that all of the establishments had a large underground "city" of connected basements in which their goods were hidden during the day. The only entrances to them from the surface establishments were small wooden trap doors that the owners covered with rugs.

There were strange sounds coming from inside the curtained rooms. Durtain's father went upstairs, the Little Count sneaking just within sight, and walked with purpose to a green curtain at the end of the hall. A man stood outside it with a rusty scimitar on his hip and a glass eye that reflected the street torches outside.

"Is she free now?" Durtain's father asked, holding out a few red rupees. The man with the glass eye counted them, then held the curtain aside.

In the moment before the curtain drifted shut, Durtain got a glimpse of a dark haired woman, scantily clad in a robe that hid nothing. They called her the Forest Sage. He strained to listen to the muffled conversation from his hiding place.

"Oh, Count, I have missed you!"

"I didn't come for you, Iselia, I want the girl. I no longer see her in the square."

The woman's tone immediately went cold. "Ever since I had her, you don't want me anymore. It figures. Hmph. The owner of the White Pot Shack two doors down from this one picked her up."

His father was quiet. "Like mother like daughter I guess." He turned and Durtain saw his hand on the outer edge of the curtain. "I will stamp your common blood out of your son, Iselia. He is mine." With that he swept the curtain aside and left. Durtain hurried behind as fast as he dared, mind reeling with strange things he didn't understand. There were women in every room of this house. It wasn't until he was older that Durtain understood why. What the child _could_ understand at nine years old was what happed when his father went to the White Pot Shack two doors down. There was screaming inside this one—little girls and boys inside the curtained rooms. The ones Durtain glimpsed could not have been older than himself. The screaming made him feel sick. His father argued with some men, and gave them three times the amount of rupees that he gave the other man, and then went down a series of halls to a black curtain. He was inside for a long time.

When he came back out a half hour later, the little dark-haired girl inside was shuffling behind him. Realizing that his father was heading back to their house, Durtain stole away and snuck back into his room, his heart pounding. There was confusion, hurt, and a sick feeling inside of him. He didn't understand then, but he came to understand very soon.

The little girl lived in their servant quarters. Her name was the same as her mother's—Iselia—and she looked exactly like Durtain. She was his sister. The Countess of Rashak was barren, and the Rashak Family needed an heir, so this bastard child who seemed to have the Countess's eyes was passed off as hers. Shortly after Iselia moved in, Durtain's father went to the servant quarters a lot at night. Her room was set far apart from any of the others. The beatings also started shortly after she moved in. Drunk, Durtain's father would find him and beat him bloody, yelling about the taint of his common blood. Little Count Durtain hated this blood, and all of the commoners who possessed it. He hated them for causing his father to hate him so much. If the people in the Alley were any indication, only pain and twisted destruction could ever come from commoners. He had never known them to be any other way.

The sudden murder of his father and mother was chocked up to a thief in the night, but it was really in a drugged up argument in Shmuck Shack Alley. Durtain took up the family title of Count and decided to do things differently. Commoners were evil by nature, but young children were not to blame for their families' common taint, and no child should be subjected to what he and his sister had to suffer. Count Durtain decided that by putting them in a protected environment devoid of influences that might bring out their evil nature, the Common children might grow up to be decent citizens. This decided, Durtain opened the orphanages, but he would not put his name on them. The other nobles knew of his father's secret lifestyle, and Durtain feared that putting his name on the orphanages would link him and the destructive commoners in their minds. No one but his father, mother, and himself knew that the Forest Sage was his real mother, and Durtain would do everything to keep it that way. He would not be in any way associated with the likes of _their kind_.

Still, the Count followed in many of his father's footsteps concerning the Alley. Agatha's mother was also of common birth—the daughter of a Red Pot woman. Durtain took care of the baby girl himself, but he had no wife to pawn the child off on. Instead, he took care of her in private through his most trusted maid—his sister, Iselia. Having never spoken to Iselia in any way but as her master, Durtain had no idea if she knew the truth about their relationship. Having such a common mind, he doubted that she did. Still, the girl did have the same amount of noble in her as he himself did, and so he trusted her with more things around the mansion than the other servants. Tarno, his most trusted servant, was also a bastard child with noble blood. Only the ones with noble blood could be trusted.

On this cold autumn night, Count Durtain went straight to the black magic Shack. It was filled with all sorts of strange books, spells, and items. The man behind the counter seemed _dark_ in an evil way that left normal people feeling confused and disturbed when they passed him in the street. His fingernails were excessively long, and his face had strange diseased boils on it.

"What can I help you with, ssssir?" the man said in a breathy voice.

Durtain leaned on the counter. "I need a book on shadows…" he said, looking at a cursed knife on the wall.

The man handed him a book on the shelf, and Durtain began flipping through its pages. The man raised an eyebrow. "May I assssk, sssir, what you need with ssssuch a book?"

Durtain dropped some rupees on the table and turned. "Matters of Nobility are no business of the likes of your kind. Good evening." The man muttered a curse under his breath as the Count strode out.

In truth, the Count didn't know why he was getting the book. Something inside of him seemed to whisper in his sleep these days, and dark plots consumed his thoughts. This evil commoner and the twisted monarch that loved him would not be allowed to ruin Hyrule and Hyrule's children. Somehow Durtain knew that this book would help him accomplish his plans.

!

One passer in the main square thought she saw faint wisps of smoke coming off of Count's heals as he walked through the cobblestone streets, but then the woman shook her head, said she must be seeing things, and hurried to bed.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

The morning of the trials did not start with a warm bath, a quiet morning in the kitchen, or nightmare-induced screaming for the Princess of Hyrule. A mark or two after the sun's ascent into the eastern sky, her newly-formed army of maids marched into her room, two advisors leading the charge. The click on the doorknob was enough to wake Zelda, who did not sleep very well the night before, but the clatter made by the small team had her bolting up in bed, all semblances if drowsiness gone.

"Good Morning, Your Highness!" said a woman in the front with brown hair pulled back in a twist and a large schedule book in her arms. She was Katti, placed in charge of all of the princess's scheduling a month before. "I am glad to see you up so quickly."

Zelda rubbed her eyes and took the hands offered to her, letting them pull her up. "Yes, Katti…" she said through a yawn. "Because the crack of dawn is so late that I might never have gotten up…"

Katti tapped her pen against the book, smiling in amusement. "I continue to be surprised at how grouchy you are when you first wake up, Princess. Bad night?" The grouchy princess in question made a noise in response that sounded part growl and part snort, but it was muffled through the petticoats being yanked over her head. "It was your idea to wake up this early."

"Yes, I remember," Zelda said, blowing out a huff of air as the maids twisted and tied the undergarments in place. "Remind me to scold myself tonight as I fall asleep in my soup during supper." Grunting as the maids began lacing up the corset, Zelda motioned for Katti to continue with her duties.

"I will pencil that in, Highness. _Scold self—6pm._" A giggle rippled through the room."On to business, then. Your morning will begin with a hardy breakfast. The trials will begin shortly afterward, and though there will be tea breaks and a small lunch, I know that you want to have it over with so the lunch will be late and brief." Zelda nodded, flinching as a maid's firm hands tightened the corset more. Katti commenced to run through the schedule and times of Zelda's day, and the princess added some things and took some things out. The maids brought out her "official Hyrulian Monarch" dress—the old violet one she wore when Zant invaded. The princess suppressed a desire to wrinkle her nose at it. She had been avoiding it since Link returned her freedom to her. None the less, she complied and allowed them to put her in it, then clean and wrestle her hair into submission and elegance.

When Katti was done she hurried out to take care of the changes in the schedule, and the other higher official—a pretty blond haired woman named Georgetta—began talking. She was in charge of the details entailed in the previously organized schedule. "The cooks have prepared a meal for you, Your Highness, but is there anything in particular that you crave?" Zelda shook her head. Georgetta continued. "Very well, I have organized the Court Room as you ordered. The common populace is waiting outside the door, and guards are organizing them. They will cycle through the courtroom in groups of twenty per trial. The Count of Rashak is not feeling well this morning and will not be able to attend on the Nobles' Council. He sends his apologies."

"Bother," Zelda said, eyes closed as her maids plucked and painted her face. "I fear that he is still nursing a grudge because of General Verdelupo. Count Durtain will just have to stop acting like a child and get over it."

"I quite agree Majesty. The General is still attending then?"

"Yes. He even has the lost General's Uniform to wear."

Georgetta made some marks on her pad of paper. "That is good. He will match you, then, as is customary. Your advisors will be pleased." She went on to run through the details of each event with Zelda, and the maids put on the final touches—the golden jewelry, plates, and decorations of Zelda's dress. When they had finished, they held out the tiara on a violet pillow, which Zelda carefully set in place. She exited the room, the maids filing out behind her and Georgetta finishing up the last details beside her. Forrad was already standing outside the door waiting.

"Princess Zelda," he said, bowing. "Good morning, Your Highness."

"And good morning to you, Forrad." She turned to Georgetta. "Thank you. I believe that was the last detail?"

"Yes, princess." She curtsied and took her leave, maids following behind.

Zelda and her old advisor walked toward the dining hall, a few soldiers ahead of and behind them. "Forrad, how is the re-staffing coming along?"

"Well, now that the reconstruction of Hyrule Castle is almost complete, very well. As you can see, your maids and advisors are fully staffed and quite eager to be on time." They both chuckled at that. Dawn was a little early, even for Princess Zelda, despite the fact that she liked mornings very much. "The rest of the positions are filling out nicely. There are jobless citizens coming from all over the country to find work, shelter, and food."

Zelda nodded. "I am glad that we are able to provide them with all of these things. Let's talk about the rest over breakfast, old friend."

!

Once everyone had taken their respective places in the court room later that morning, the trials began. Link found himself rather bored through most of them. Their only crimes were being cowards and abandoning their country during war. Many of them got released and dishonorably dismissed from the army, others were given jail time due to the nature of their desertion, and one man whose desertion resulted in a key breech of castle security was exiled from Hyrule all together. The last man to be put on trial was the former General Gorkenheim.

!

The stone courtroom was hot, and many were tired and irritable. Princess Zelda had requested an extra tea break at one point when the advisors, rather advanced in age and prone to tiring quickly, demanded that all of the prisoners be exiled without hearing. The sun had gone down three trials ago. Servants lit torches and placed them in iron holdings on the walls, where the crackling was loud in the room's silence. There were no colors in this room—just stone, iron, and wood. Without sunlight to brighten it up, the fire flickering over the stone walls made Link think of the dungeons of Arbiter's Grounds and shudder. Remembering the smell of rotting flesh and the presence of disembodied evil in that place made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The green-handled sword was unsheathed across his lap, and his calloused thumbs stroked the blade.

Gorkenheim was brought in under heavy guard. They attached his shackles to the iron loops on the floor in the middle of the round room. Prisoners were not allowed the comfort of sitting—they were chained to the floor and made to stand. If the prisoner sat down, he was whipped by a nearby guard. A murmur rumbled through the people as the former general was shuffled into the room and bound. The vile man's usual state of disarray was worse than normal, though none believed it was possible for Gorkenheim to be more disgusting than he already was. There was dried blood caked in his hair, and his beard looked as if it had been hacked off in a hurry and then grown back uneven. He shot a glare at the princess that would have made a weaker woman faint. Princess Zelda raised her chin. A fierceness came over her face, the angles harsher and the shadows deeper. Firelight glinted off of the sapphire in her crown.

"Gorkenheim Duquirte, former general of the Hyrulian Army." Her voice was loud and strong, reverberating against the round stone walls in such a way that it sounded five times louder than normal as it pressed in their ears. "You have been imprisoned because you attacked the Monarch of Hyrule. This is High Treason, and it alone is worthy of death." Gorkenheim seemed to shrink under her gaze, his shoulders quivering and curling in on himself, his knees bending. The crack of a whip on his back made the commoners and Link jump. The prisoner screamed as he straightened his legs, mucus and drool dripping from his hair. Princess Zelda's face did not soften, but a look came into her eyes that Link recognized as pain. "I and my advisors have been closely investigating your behavior as General before, during, and after the war."

She motioned her soft hand toward the advisors' panel. An old man clad in elaborate gold and orange robes with a bald head and white beard stood, clearing his throat. "Your Majesty, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, hereafter I shall state the findings of our investigation. The prisoner is a gluttonous miscreant. He ascended to the position of General by manipulating the fancies of our former King, may he rest in peace. Having obtained the power he so desired, Gorkenheim Duquirte taught his lecherous, dishonorable ways to the soldiers of Hyrule's Army. They did not train. They abandoned honor. They spent their military pay on women and drink in the Black Market. It was no fault of their own that when the Powers of Darkness attacked this good land they ran away in fear. This man failed them and failed Hyrule. His evil lusts for power and money cost the war. It is the opinion of this counsel that Gorkenheim Duquirte be beheaded in the square on charges of High Treason and Corruption."

The advisor sat down. They all glared at the former general with disgust and judgment. The Princess was silent for a while, gazing down at the pathetic, trembling man below her. Link's mouth was dry. He swallowed hard and examined Zelda's face—the pain he had seen earlier seemed to increase by the moment as her thoughts wrestled. Finally, she turned her gaze on Link. "General Link, Duke of Verdelupo, what say you of this man's fate? For it was you, after all, who saved the Person of the Monarch from his drunken attack, and against your Army that his deepest trespasses were committed."

Link opened his mouth and stuttered a bit at first. It was first time he had been asked a question, and his tongue felt dry and large in his mouth. Link swallowed again and cleared his throat. "I agree with everything the Princess and the Advisors have said. Everything is accurate to the best of my knowledge. However, I wonder…" he paused, looking to Zelda. She nodded her head that he should continue. "If Gorkenheim had not been granted the position of General in the first place, he would not have had the power to commit his crimes. Perhaps he would have ended up in this court on a case of drunken manslaughter in a bar, but it was the former King's decision to put a corrupt man in power that caused the harm."

An angry rumble rose from the Advisors' and Nobles' Counsels. Zelda raised her hands to both of them. "I will have silence in this room!" she shouted. A hush fell. Gorkenheim's chains clinked. "General Verdelupo, your words are brazen. Would you have me outlaw my deceased father? Someone must pay the price for this man's crimes."

Link ducked his head. "Yes, your Majesty, and I do not think that this man should go unpunished. No one is more furious than I at his character and his crimes. I've been the one to clean up what his failed army could not, and to repair that army's destroyed chivalry. I merely ask her Highness and the Counsels to consider this thought: has Hyrule not seen enough death in this war?" There was silence as Link let his words sink in. The firelight danced in the gold of his armor, shimmering like molten metal as he rose to his feet and held out his sword. "Has the Sword of Hyrule—my sword—not seen enough blood for one war? I have seen the empty cities. Kakariko's houses are boarded up, and its tavern is full of drunken travelers much like this man. Should he be killed because we enabled his drunkenness to harm this kingdom? That is our fault, not his alone. I think that if we kill him for his crimes then we must hang all of them, for they have committed the same gluttony and violence against innocent children and wives as Gorkenheim has committed against Hyrule." Link sat back down, resting his sword across his lap.

The Nobel's Counsel looked uncomfortable—Link had learned that they, themselves, often enjoyed the drink and women of the Black Market too much. The Advisors still looked like they wanted to kill the man, but their faces reflected an uncertainty that wasn't there before. After a few moments, as the murmured conversations trailed off, all eyes turned back to Princess Zelda. The pain that Link had seen growing in her expression was now on the surface, her fierce anger abated. "You speak with mercy, General," she said. "I would not have expected such a reaction from you, who have been so adamant in your hatred of this prisoner in the past." Zelda rose to her feet, the Scepter of Judgment in her hand. It was a golden rod topped with a phoenix inlaid with rubies, the sacred golden Triforce between its wings. She tapped it on the wooden counter three times. The room was silent, with the exception of the fire's crackling and Gorkenheim's chains, awaiting her judgment.

"Gorkenheim Duquirte, I hereby judge you guilty of Crimes against the Royal Crown of Hyrule consisting of High Treason and Corruption. The penalty for such serious convictions is public death by beheading, but one here has given you mercy." Her eyes drifted to Link and back to her prisoner. "I hereby sentence you to a lifetime of slavery under the same man who gave you mercy. In this enslavement you must never drink or touch illegal substances. You must never engage in romantic or sexual involvement. You must keep clean and well groomed at all times. There will be no option of advancement from this position. Should you violate the constituents of this sentence in any way or General Verdelupo of Hyrule deem you unfit for such a basic form of life, then you will be put to death without trial." With that Princess Zelda rapped the scepter three times and sat down again. "I would recommend, Gorkenheim, that you thank the General for his mercy. None other here would have granted it to you. Take him away."

The soldiers came forward and dragged the prisoner back to the dungeons. Zelda dismissed the commoners, and then turned to the remaining people. "Thank you all for your aid today. I feel good about what we have accomplished this day. I feel even better that we have brought justice to Hyrule without shedding more blood upon our good soil. Thank you, General, for rescuing us from further bloodshed." Zelda bowed her head to him in a regal manner, smiling with benevolence. "Now, it is late gentleman. I have had the cooks prepare a filling supper for us all. When you are full and rested, your carriages will be waiting to escort you home. Once again, thank you." Zelda stepped down from her pedestal, and made her way toward the door. The noblemen crowded around her, commenting on her great wisdom and merciful heart.

"Pardon me," Link said, trying to make it to her side. He, too, was crowded by advisors and nobleman with similar comments on his uncharacteristic mercy. "Yes, thank you, well I…I really must speak with the Princess. Pardon me…" He used his shoulders and pushed through the crowds, accidentally clanking his shoulder armor against the Princess's similarly-fashioned shoulder plates.

"Oh! Link!"

Link smiled sheepishly. "Forgive me, Princess, I didn't mean to bump you."

Zelda waved it off. "Do not worry about it, General." Seeing that the Princess and the General were talking to each other and not to them, the councilmen backed away, allowing the two to make it to the door uninhibited. Four guards formed around them.

"My lady, may I speak with you?" Link asked.

"Yes, General, you may," Zelda said. "However, I must make an appearance at the dinner. You do not have to join us if you would prefer. I fear the conversation may bore you."

Link slowed a little, but still kept pace with her. "Very well, Princess."

Zelda nodded. "I will send for you."

"I suppose Ikal always knows how to find me," he said. Zelda stopped, Link bowed to her, and then they parted.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

In the training complex of the Army Compound, Link was smashing the life out of a dummy. It had already lost its bucket head, and one of its arms was broken. From the windows and doors nearby, his subordinates peeked their heads out and watched him, whispering to each other.

"He seems pretty frustrated, doesn't he Bub?" one man said, polishing a sword in his lap. He and his bunk mate had been watching through their window for the last fifteen minutes as they got their equipment ready for the next day.

"He's been at them trials all day, he has," Bub remarked. "May-haps he's just restless."

"Maybe he's restless AND frustrated," the first man said. Bub just shrugged.

After a few minutes more, Bub glanced up from rosining his bow string. Link had abandoned his sword now, and was laying into the dummy with his fists and feet. "Golly…" Bub murmured. "That man's an animal. I ain't never seen no one move like that."

The first soldier shook his head. "I wouldn't want to get on his bad side."

"Twenty rupees he shatters that dummy."

"I'll take that bet."

Link _was_ restless, and he _was _frustrated. He sat in that stuffy room all day—in itself a difficult task for the wolf man—only to be asked one question the whole day, and then blown off immediately afterward. He knew that Zelda was a busy woman, being the acting Queen and everything, but still. Still _what_ exactly he wasn't sure, but still _something_. Link jumped up and round kicked the dummy with an animalistic roar. Its body was cracking pretty badly. On top of that, she assigns Gorkenheim to him as a slave without consulting him first! What was he supposed to do with that despicable excuse for a man? Was it revenge for speaking against the Council? A lesson? The army was just recovering from the damage Gorkenheim had done to them, just starting to give Link some true respect and loyalty, and now the ape would be back among them again, seeping poison in their ears while scrubbing the floors. There was no way he could have the men around Gorkenheim, period. And Zelda! Link slammed his gauntlet-clad fist into the dummy's body, hitting it in just the right point to make the wood crack and fall completely off. There was nothing more than a sack of sand hanging on a pole now, but the frustrated hero kept whacking at it.

"I think the dummy has died," a voice behind Link said. He twirled around, sword flashing into his hand. Ikal stood with her dagger held casually in hand, face impassive, like a moving shadow in the moonless night.

"Oh, you again." Link sheathed his sword and straightened his stance.

"Something bothering you, hero?" the Sheikah woman asked, quirking an eyebrow. Link narrowed his eyes. "Okay, fine, you don't have to answer. She's ready for you now."

"Thank you," he said. Ikal nodded, then threw a Deku nut on the ground and was gone. "Frustrating slippery women…" Link muttered, walking out of the compound. He slipped into a nearby alley, checked for curious gazes, and took the Wolf Stone out of his pocket. Link held it before his eyes and admired it for a moment, the orange grooves in its surface reflecting a faint light onto his face. His breath was a cloud between him and the stone in the cold autumn air. With care, Link tied it around his neck, almost stroking its warm surface. Covered in his other fur, Link snuck through the dark places in Hyrule Castle Town and followed the princess's familiar scent.

It had been so very long since his last transformation the Ordonian man was beginning to feel too tamed. The wolf seemed to retreat farther into his heart every day, lost in "fine speech" and gentle instruction. Just two days ago, Link cut a swordsman when training him because he forgot to stay his hand. The blood oozing from a nick on the man's throat seemed to scream at the wolf man—_unfit…too wild…might kill someone someday_. Every day he struggled with the beast under his skin. _I'm an Ordonian man, _he thought_, a shepherd. I can be rough, but I wouldn't hurt a fly. I'm not a monster. I don't have to kill to be satisfied…I don't need blood._ However Link took a leave of absence for the afternoon and put Captain Volc in charge of training while he satiated his baser nature.

Zelda was in her study when the blue-eyed beast found her. He scared a maid on the stairs so that the guards would leave their post, then hurried to the door and pulled the stone off. The guards came back just as Link was slipping it into his pouch.

"Sir?" They looked confused.

"I saw a beast outside and followed him here. You two go find that creature and kill it. I will guard Her Highness."

"Yes sir." They saluted and ran off. Link grinned to himself as he knocked on her door. Having the guards gone would make it so much easier to talk to princess. No interruptions or watching what they spoke about. Zelda's voice came from inside, and Link let himself in.

Zelda looked up from the pile of papers she was reading. Her smile was distracted. "Good evening, Sir Link," she said, motioning toward the chair. Link shifted in the armor, cursing himself for forgetting to take it off earlier. It really chaffed after a while.

"No thank you," he said, moving the chair aside. "We've been sitting all day, after all. I hope you don't mind if I take this off—" he started unbuckling the armor's leather straps.

The princess shook her head. "Not at all."

"Thank you," Link murmured, setting each golden plate against the wall. The red cloth was attached to the armor itself, and once he took off the chain mail all he had on underneath was a plain pair of black slacks and a high-collared, long-sleeve black shirt that hung snugly to his muscular torso. He took his boots off too, and wiggled his toes with a smile. The cold stone floor felt good on his hot feet.

"Would you like me to send for your wardrobe?" Zelda said, her cheeks lightly pink.

Link shook his head. "Nope, I'm fine."

"General, this is very improper." She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead.

Link shrugged, leaning against the closed door. "I sent the guards on a wild goose chase for a beast. They won't be back any time soon."

Zelda thumped her hand back down into the table. "Whether someone sees us like this or not is irrelevant. It is still improper for you to stand before me in your undergarments, Sir."

"So I'm 'Sir' and 'General' and 'Duke' now, am I?" Link's voice was snappy, and his blue eyes were angry. "I happen to have a name, which I prefer my friends use. Just three months ago you called me one, _Your Highness_."

Princess Zelda rose to her feet, the palms of her hands flat on the desktop. "How dare you come into my presence and speak to me in this manner?"

Link pushed away from the wall and walked over to her, his fists balled at his sides. His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Forgive me for misunderstanding your definition of 'friendship' Princess! I seemed to think it meant using first names and being informal. What a grave mistake on my part."

"I have invited you into my presence after a long, tiresome, heartbreaking day and you dare to treat me in this manner? Leave my presence immediately!" Zelda shouted, pointing at the door. "You are out of line, General!"

Link spun and stalked to the door, his hands shaking as he touched the handle. Despite his anger, his voice was icy. "As you wish, Highness." He made sure to slam the door behind him.

Link was fuming. How dare she treat him like this? That pompous, two-faced, arrogant…

"Link! Wait!"

The wolf man froze, his eyes widening, and turned around. Zelda was hurrying down the hall after him, her skirts held in her hands to make it easier to run. "You want me to remove my armor from your floor I suppose."

Zelda touched his arm when she got near him. "No. I'm sorry, Link. I was out of line. Please come back, and we will talk more appropriately."

Link's shoulders slumped. "Very well." He followed her back to the office and sat down in the chair this time. Zelda plopped down in her chair rather heavily. For the first time Link noticed how tired she looked. There were rings under her eyes, her hair stuck out of its braids in every direction, and her shoulders stooped as if they could not hold up the weights on them.

"I am sorry," she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "It has been so long since I have been around informal company. The castle servants are almost fully staffed again, and so I have even lost my mornings. There is so much to be done before winter."

"You look exhausted, Zelda. Have you not been sleeping at all?"

She smiled at him. "I have slept, but my dreams have been troubled and so I do not sleep soundly."

Link nodded. "I was out of line too. I haven't gotten out of the Compound much since I officially took over. Shad, Ashei, and Auru returned to their adventures and are communicating with me by hawk. Ilia returned to Ordon—the castle is no place for a ranch girl. She needed her trees and goats back." He shrugged, smiling. "I suppose that I've been a little restless, and a little lonely. I miss them very much."

"Well, aren't we a cranky, overworked pair?" Zelda said. They both chuckled. "What did you want to speak with me about, Link?"

"Here's the thing," Link moved to the edge of the chair, gesturing with his hands in excitement as he spoke. "I'm restless, and the men need an opportunity to exercise their new morals and skills. There have been numerous Bulbin sightings along the borders in this past month, and many Bokoblins that haven't left Hyrule. I have an idea to take care of it all."

Zelda leaned back in her plush chair, tapping her fingertips together in interest. "Go on," she said.

"My last battle with King Bulbin ended with him giving me the key and saying that he only follows the strongest side because it's all that he and his people have known."

Zelda's eyes widened. "He spoke? Is that another wolf thing, or did he actually speak words?"

Link laughed. "Midna had the same reaction! Yes, he spoke Hylian words." Zelda opened her mouth to continue asking questions, but Link charged ahead. "Anyway, Princess, by giving me the key he ceded that I was the strongest, but whatever loyalty he had he gave to ME, not to Hyrule. Therefore, his people are attacking Hyrule again, little by little, to test its strength. I propose that I take our Army on a quest to prove Hyrule's strength to them, thereby gaining their loyalty. In the process we wipe out whatever Bokoblins that get in our way, freeing people from the Bokoblin threat."

Zelda stared at her table top, thinking for a while. Link could not read her face. "You speak of the Bulbins as people," she murmured, not looking at him.

"Well, Princess, forgive me but…well, they speak and have ways of life that they have known. I know what it's like to be a beast. I don't know if they're capable of decency, but they're intelligent enough for King Bulbin to understand the concepts of 'a way of life' and 'loyalty'. They occupy an old Hylian compound just outside of the Arbiter's Grounds, and build structures from wood like watchtowers and gates. They battle with intelligent, thoughtful methods using oil traps on bridges and shields in a charge. Monsters, in the way that we have understood them, can't build structures such as these with specific purposes for war. Monsters can't speak the Hylian tongue, or comprehend abstract ideas. Monsters do nothing but follow instincts and kills. I have no problem killing monsters…but the Bublin's are different, somehow. They're intelligent people who've never been given an opportunity to be anything but monsters."

Zelda looked troubled as she stood from her chair and walked to her window. "The idea of allying Hyrule with monsters such as these bothers me. Their allegiance will be tentative at best—one sign of weakness and they will switch sides against us."

"Then we won't use their help in battle. Sending the Hyrulian Army to win their allegiance merely guarantees your people's freedom from their attacks. It was the Bulbins that first raided Ordon and stole our children. The Bulbins helped kill the people of Kakariko. Perhaps we might even take some scientists with us to discover whether Bulbins are capable of intelligent thought. Perhaps, in time, we can change their savage way of life."

Zelda sighed a little. "Very well, then, Link. You make a good case." She crossed to her desk and pulled out a blank sheet of parchment. "I will draw up a formal proposal for you with my signature of approval. However, you will need to bring this up before the Advisors Council. They represent the people's interests. I will support you."

Link inclined his head. "Thank you, Zelda."

Zelda smiled. "Of course. Is there anything else that I can do for you?"

Link stood up as well. "Two things," he said. "First, I went through all that trouble to get the guards away and it's such a clear night. You should take a walk with me."

"It has been a while since we've really seen one another, hasn't it?" Zelda said, crossing the room to him. Link offered his elbow to her, and she took it. "I suppose drawing up the official proposal can wait. Let's go to my closet so I can get my coats, and you need something to wear as well."

"You have men's clothing in your closet?" Link laughed.

Zelda shot him a look out of the corner of her eye. "I have EVERYTHING in my closet, Link. I am the acting Queen after all." Link didn't even _want_ to think about what that implied. "Anyway, what is the second subject you mentioned?"

Link stopped and turned Zelda to face him. His expression was very grave. "What in Faron's name am I going to do with Gorkenheim as a slave?"

Zelda laughed. "I guess you will have to make him clip your toe nails or something equally humiliating." Link glared at her, and they argued about Gorkenheim the rest of the way down the hall.

**Author's Note**:

Yey for plot-moving chapters. I liked it. It was rather quick to write, and I think there's a lot of important information hidden in there. Can you see the hints woven in? Let's see how obvious they are. The Code of Honor that Link set up is adapted directly from the Knight's Code of Honor in the Medieval Ages. You can look it up online. It's one of the first five links on there I think.

Also, the scene where Durtain remembers his father going into the Red and White Pot houses was inspired by a program called A21. It's out of Hillsong Church in Australia, and it stands for "Aboloshing Slavery in the 21st century". Did you know that human trafficking will be the number one trafficked item by next year, above the illegal trafficking of drugs and arms. There are over 27 Million people held as slaves today, and most of those are women and children as young as 4 years old in the sex slave industry. Greece is one of the major destinations for human trafficking, but it's a problem all over the world. Even in No Where-Boise, Idaho, USA, where I attended the conference that I saw this program at, the pastor of the church said she could drive around and show us 13 houses in the Treasure Valley where human slaves are being illegally housed. It's a huge, huge problem and I think we all need to be aware of it, and to do what we can to help those people.

Anyway, on a lighter note have any of you seen the movie Legend with Tom Cruise? It's a great movie, and would be an awesome Zelda parable. A forest boy goes on a quest to save a princess, there's a fairy helping him…it's got the whole bit really. I just saw it last week for the first time. Creepy main bad guy with pig feet too! See, it's even more perfect. Haha.

And thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter! A LOT of you said you teared up or cried that chapter. Don't feel bad, here's the sad part: _**I**_ teared up while writing it. Yeah, THAT'S bad. I didn't cry, but my eyes did get misty at one point. Anyway, thanks for reading everything and please review!

—_The Wolfess_


	16. The Bulbin Campaign

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Fifteen: The Bulbin Campaign**

The morning Link was to make his formal proposition to the Board of Advisors, it was raining. Link was sure that the god in control of rain had forgotten to release all his rain that year, and so was sending all of the leftovers at one time. Not only was it pouring, it was the icy, half-slush rain of fall that feels like needles when it hits bare skin. So the wolf-man put on the General's Uniform, wrapped himself in a thick, fur-lined winter cloak, left instructions with his Captains for that day's training regime, and ran through the rain to the castle. Flashes of lightning streaked through the air, quickly followed by thunder claps. They rumbled in the sky like the growl in a beast's throat. Shivering, Link went through the gates and the main doors without waiting for proper approval from the guards stationed.

"Sir, may I take your cloak?" a young boy said at the door. Link nodded to him and let the boy take the dripping garment. He breathed into his hands and rubbed them together, waving off the servants coming to offer him things or to escort him, and hurried to the conference room. Zelda had shown him where it was so that Link would not be detained, and Forrad was waiting for him outside the ornate oak doors.

"You are early, Sir Link," the old man said, bowing his head.

Link returned the gesture. "There is heavy rain outside. I didn't want to be late because of it. Anyway, I knew you would have a million things to tell me about before the meeting starts."

Forrad chuckled. "If you desire advice from an old man on the ways of the council, I would be more than willing to offer my services…"

As Zelda's old personal advisor launched into a long speech about when to stand and sit, how to enter, when to speak, how to agree or disagree, Link watched the people going in and out of the room. Some of them were upper-class servants, suitable to be seen by polite company. They wore fine clothes in royal purple, red, and silver, and kept their eyes on the floor. Others, dressed in rich attire in outdated styles, as evidenced by the puffy sleeves and excess of frills, seemed to be councilmen. Link recognized some of them from the ball and the trials.

"That man," Forrad said, motioning toward a councilman with a white chinstrap beard, "is the head of the council. You will remember him as the man who spoke for the Council at the trials."

"Yeah, I remember," Link said. "He tended to favor more…unforgiving tactics. As if the idea of mercy were a bad wine on his tongue."

"Many on the Council believe in that manner, Link. They are from an older time, where forgiveness and mercy were not popular policies in Hyrule." At Link's quirked eyebrow, Forrad continued in a hushed voice. "The former King, Zelda's father, was the firstborn son of a ruthless ruler, Henrarian VIII. Minor offenses were punished with slavery and imprisonment, and all serious offenses were rewarded with public death by beheading. He even put to death his younger son, Zelda's uncle, when he discovered an assassination plot. In reaction against Henrarian VIII's ruthlessness, Zelda's father became a king with no discipline, and got rid of his father's entire army, castle staff, personal advisors, everything but the Council. Instead, he put more easy-going people in power, people with a love for drink and partying similar to the King himself. This ended his rule prematurely when the Forces of Zant attacked our unprepared Hyrule, and you know the rest. Though the Council didn't approve of Henrarian VIII's ruthlessness, they also didn't approve of Zelda's father, and don't approve of Zelda ruling alone because of her gender."

"Which is why she is still 'princess' and not queen. That I do know." Link pondered this for a moment, then patted Forrad's shoulder and smiled. "Thank you. I understand the pit of vipers I'm heading into now. Wish me luck."

Forrad inclined his head. "Nayru bless you, General."

Link turned to the door and paused, adjusting the golden plates of the magic armor and swaths of red fabric, then entered. Most of the councilmen were already in their respective places around a large wooden table. They watched him from under bushy white eyebrows as he took his prepared seat, varying expressions of disdain and curiosity on their faces, and pointedly ignored him as they all waited for Princess Zelda to arrive.

Link could hear the clanking of guards and jumble of voices that heralded the Princess's approach before the others, his keen hearing honing in on her voice. She was prattling off instructions to her personal advisors, Georgetta and Katti, and getting the paperwork she requested from Forrad. Finally the voices quieted and the door opened, a single guard stepping in.

"Her Highness, Princess Zelda of Hyrule." Every member of the council rose their feet, Link following suit, as Zelda swept into the room and took her seat at the place of honor. She was wearing a thick, warm violet gown with tiny gold triforce patterns embroidered over it, the only jewelry being her simple tiara, a pair of dangling amethyst earrings, and a matching necklace.

"Thank you Gentlemen, you may sit." They all did so. Zelda ordered the papers on the table in front of her, glanced them over, and then looked up. "Now, before we go into the main order of business for today, what are your proposals for me?"

A particularly shriveled man cleared his throat, his voice creaking. "Your Highness, we have a few issues of concern to raise. First is the issue of your rulings yesterday. We still feel that you were far too lenient, Highness."

Zelda's eyes narrowed. "My ruling is final. I took into account the circumstances of their situations and pardoned where necessary. My father did not train any of his appointments or recruits for the situations that they were faced with. In fact, I fear that I was too harsh on Gorkenheim by not giving him the opportunity to be set free with good behavior."

The advisor being spoken to shook his head. "Your sentimental feelings are understandable—you are a woman, after all. If you were married, Highness, your husband would not have sentimental emotions to get in the way of his judgment."

"We have already discussed this issue many times, and I am tiring of it. I will not marry any man who does not meet my standards for this kingdom, and thus far I have found no such man in Hyrule." The councilman closest to Zelda took a sheet of parchment from the stack in front of him and handed it to Zelda. "What is this?" she asked, scanning it.

"That is our second issue, your Majesty. We feel that it is time for you to begin seeing suitors. The country is well on its way in the restoration process, and it is time for Hyrule to have the King it deserves. That is a list of men we have thoughtfully considered worthy of your consideration."

A look of frustration passed over Zelda's features so quickly Link barely caught it as her mask of royal benevolence snapped into place. She placed the list on the bottom of her stack and inclined her head. "I will examine this list and consider your suggestions, but I will not begin seeing suitors until Hyrule is safely through this winter. All of my energy needs to be focused on the wellbeing of the people in this vital season, not on fulfilling archaic traditions. I will not hear another word on this issue. If you have no other matters of importance, we will move on."

"Two more concerns this week, Princess." Zelda nodded her head for the man to continue. "You have been shirking your social responsibility to the Noble Class. You have yet to establish your Ladies in Waiting, as tradition demands of female rulers, and more social visits with the nobility of Hyrule are needed. We understand that you feel the social paradigms of the nobility are shallow and unappealing, but nonetheless you have a responsibility. Their families have been faithfully serving this country for hundreds of years."

The councilman with the papers handed a few more to her, lists of available ladies in waiting and the noble families according to rank and social standings, which Zelda also put on the bottom of her stack. "Very well," she said. "Your point is valid. I will see what I can do, but my focus will remain on the people and running this country, not on appeasing the social order."

The councilmen around the table nodded, and the older one continued. "Our last point of concern is the issue of the continuing Bokoblin and Bulbin threat on our country."

"Ah, very good," Zelda said. "This is the very issue I wish to discuss with you today. The threat has not gone unnoticed, and I have asked the General to join us today to present a plan of address. I have discussed it with him, and he has my full support. Sir Link, Duke of Verdelupo."

Link cleared his throat and stood, remembering Zelda's instruction that formal proposals should be made standing. "Ah, gentlemen, thank you. As you know, I have had battle experience with the Bokoblins and Bulbins during my quest. On several occasions I faced the King of the Bulbins in one-on-one combat, and I have observed the social order of the Bulbins and their battle tactics. They fight with intelligent methods—they build wooden gates and high towers from which their archers can shoot enemies from above. They built gates of iron that blocked both entrances to Kakariko, and the exits of Hyrule field. They are able to handle and ride mounts, wild boars they have learned to tame. I admit that though I was raised as a ranch hand, even I cannot fully tame the boars like they have. They have anticipated my approach and covered the bridge over Lake Hylia with gasoline, then shot flaming arrows on either end of the bridge when I was in the middle to block of my escape. In addition to these intelligent battle tactics and evidence of advanced carpentry and ranching skills, they maintain a peaceful order among themselves in the desert near the Arbiture's Grounds, where they seem to make their home, and can speak Hylian fluently, if a little choppy."

A murmur went around the table, and one councilman said, "How is this possible?"

Link continued. "I learned this from King Bulbin. After my first defeat of him, he challenged me multiple times in an effort to prove that he was stronger than me. When I had him near defeat in our last hand-to-hand battle, he stopped fighting and said 'enough'. He then gave me the key to castle that I needed to confront Ganondorf and save the Princess, and said 'I follow the strongest side…that is all I have ever known'. This gesture tells us many things—primarily, by doing this he acted against his current master, Ganondorf, and gave his loyalty to me as the strongest. We also learn, however, that they can speak fluent Hylian, have a way of life and a culture that they not just adhere to, but examine and think about enough to speak about it to someone who does not understand."

"What, exactly, are you saying General? That these monsters should not be destroyed simply because they are more intelligent than others of their kind?" It was the head councilman with the chinstrap and bald head that spoke.

"Yes and no," Link said. "First I argue that the Bulbins are not monsters any more than the men we examined on trial yesterday. They are intelligent creatures who have been brought up in a world where they were not given the opportunity to be anything more than what they were expected to be—ruthless monsters. The Bokoblins, however, may be intelligent enough to make and wear clothing but otherwise show no signs of intelligent capability. They cannot speak, cannot build, and cannot reason. I have been training Hyrule's army, and they are a strong and worthy bunch in need of an opportunity to practice all they have learned, such as unity, morality, loyalty, and battle prowess. I propose 'The Bulbin Campaign'. On this army campaign, we will travel around the country and rid Hyrule of the Bokoblins completely, however our ultimate goal will be toward the Bulbins. You see, they have started attacking again because their loyalty was given to _me_, not to Hyrule. To them, this country is still weak, and therefore they attack us. By sending the army to their encampment in the desert to represent Hyrule, we prove our strength to them, and they leave our country alone. We gain an ally in them, and can even bring scientists with us to study the Bulbin way of life. If they truly are intelligent monsters and incapable of goodness, then we will know. However, if they are innocents and can learn goodness and a new way of life, we will not commit crimes of injustice because of ignorance and arrogance." He paused, looked around, then said "that is all," and sat down.

"I am in favor of his proposition," Zelda said, taking a stack of papers and handing them to the councilman on her right. "I have drawn up a formal written proposal for you all. Each of you take a copy—any questions you may have will be answered in the text of the proposal. General Link and myself will take our leave while you discuss this, and I expect an answer by the end of the day. Thank you gentlemen." With that she stood, motioned for Link to follow, and they exited to the rising rumble of old men talking and arguing over the proposal.

"You did well," Zelda remarked once they had turned a few corridors, and she had dismissed her attendants, advisors, and guards.

Link sighed. "I never thought old men could be so completely heartless. Forrad told me about your grandfather and these Councilmen's attitudes."

"Mm." Zelda pursed her lips. "Yes, well they are the ones in power, and their bull-headedness limits and slows the good things in this country, rather than fulfilling the purpose they were created for—to balance the power of the monarchy and speed up good things and social reform. They have become aristocratic sudo-rulers in their own minds, and above the humble roots from which their families were originally chosen. No matter—if I know them well enough they will approve the proposal and you will be able to move forward with preparations by tomorrow morning."

"Let's hope so. I'm…the men are getting very restless."

Zelda laughed. "The men are, huh? And how about you, adventurer? You traveled all over the world, and now you are confined to the Army Compound with the exception of a few forays to the castle. Undoubtedly you have ulterior motives to wanting to 'stretch the army's new sea legs'."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's true." He shrugged. "So we're all better for the Campaign—that's all the more reason to do it."

Zelda smiled and chuckled. "How right you are, Link. I agree. Anyway, since you very well may be leaving on the Campaign in the next few days I cleared my schedule for the afternoon. I have several meetings in the evening, but until then I would very much enjoy your company."

"Little old me enjoying the company of the queen? Informally?" Link said, the littlest hint of a smirk on his face.

Zelda smacked his arm with the back of her hand. "Not if you're going to be a pig about it, sir."

"Forgive my boorish habits, my lady!" Link swept into a mock bow, smirk more firmly in place. "I would immensely and indubitably be enthralled to share in the glory of your royal personage, for the benefit of my own devious motives of course."

Zelda lifted her chin, holding her hand out as if there were a clutch purse dangling from it. "As you very well should, commoner. I am far high and above the likes of your kind, and out of the grace of my heart I acquiesce to bestow you with my humble presence. You may kiss my hand now," she said, giggling through her teeth.

"It is my selfish honor, your Highness, and my ego thanks you." Link took her hand, making a rather grand show of snobbishness, and kissed not just her hand, but up her gloved arm as well.

Laughing outright, Zelda yanked her hand away from him. "Hey now!" She pushed the top of his head, causing him to fall back on his butt, armor clanking on the stone. "That is quite enough out of you!" She wrinkled her nose at his stunned face. "I really don't like you that much."

"Hey!" Link shouted, as Zelda grabbed her skirts and took off down the hall, the sound of her heels clicking frantically echoing behind her. He pushed himself up from the ground and chased after her, the hem of her violet dress flashing around the corners just ahead of him. Finally catching up with her, Link ran the last few steps between them a little faster and grabbed her waist from behind. He spun and pinned her against the wall, keeping one hand on her waist and the other on the wall by her head. "I always wanted to keep a princess prisoner, for a change of pace," he said, panting lightly and laughing, with his head tilted.

"Let me go, you fiend!" Zelda protested, banding her fists against his chest.

Link looked thoughtful for a moment, grinning wolfishly. "Let me think about that request…um, no." Zelda hit his chest again, and Link chuckled. "You know, banging your royal hands on my armor only hurts your hands."

Zelda pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "And why not?"

Link's grin widened. "I did say that I wanted your company for my own devious reasons."

Zelda glared at him, the corners of her mouth twitching as she tried not to laugh. "What are your demands, then, you stubborn man?"

"Uh…" Link looked upwards in thought, yanking Zelda back into place with the hand on her waist as she tried to wriggle away. "For you to be my personal…um, gardener. Yes, my personal gardener for the rest of your days."

"And who's going to run the country while I tend your flowers?" Zelda demanded.

"Why, your council is dying for the job, why not let them handle it?" Link suggested.

Zelda tapped her bottom lip with her forefinger. "A lifetime of tending flowers or a lifetime of bickering with old men…Fine! I'm in!" They both laughed.

"Yey! The princess is my gardener!"

Zelda wriggled in his arms. "Now let me go, I've agreed to your irrational demands!"

"No." Link shook his head, his shaggy blond hair whipping in his eyes.

Zelda gave an exasperated sigh. "Why not?"

"Because," Link said. "I haven't had this much fun in months!"

Zelda bit the corner of her bottom lip, then said, "if you let me go, we can have more fun."

Link perked at this. "More fun? Like what?"

"Like…me…ditching you through a secret panel in the next hall."

Link shook his head again. "That doesn't sound like much fun."

By this point Zelda had given up resisting and just leaned against the wall, Link's hand resting comfortably on her hip, and her palms flat on his armored chest. "Well then I guess we're in a stalemate."

"The Princess of Hyrule giving up this easily? I would never have believed such a thing possible, and yet here you are." Link said, his voice teasing.

Zelda closed her eyes in thought for a moment, then opened them with a wide grin on her face.

"I don't like the look of that grin," Link said.

Zelda drummed her fingers on his chest. "I know how to get you to let me go."

Link raised his chin slightly. "And how, pray tell, will you manage that? I'm stronger and faster than you."

Zelda was almost bouncing on her toes, a strange gleam in her eyes. "Like this!" She leaned forward, pushing against the wall with her hands, and kissed him. Link jerked back with a surprised yelp-like shout, and the victorious princess took off into the next hall. Before Link had recovered from his shock he heard the sound of scraping stone, and when he got into the next hall the Princess of Hyrule was gone.

"What was _that_?" the bewildered hero said, spinning in a circle and examining the walls for some kind of trigger.

"You wouldn't let me go!" came Zelda's voice, muffled through the wall.

Link turned toward where he thought he heard it coming from. "So you kissed me? What?"

"It worked didn't it? And now you'll never find me!"

"I thought you were a princess," Link closed in more on her voice, pressing his ear against a wall. "Don't princesses not kiss boys? Especially not random peasant boys?"

"Hmph" she said though the wall. Link's ear drifted closer, his hands examining the stone. "You're not some random boy, and that wasn't a real kiss. It was just a peck. If I had a brother I would kiss him like that."

"Oh you would, would you?" Link grinned as the fingers of his left hand found a rather loose stone. "Lucky pretend brother." He pushed the stone, and the wall swung open outward, hitting him in the process. Zelda squeaked and spun around, but Link recovered quickly and grabbed her wrist. He sprang into the dark passageway and yanked the wall closed behind him with his free hand. They wrestled with each other in the dark, shuffling around in the small, dark space, until finally they came to a standstill, chest to chest again.

"Well, this is uncomfortable," Zelda said.

Link nodded, "Agreed, very uncomfortable."

"It really wasn't made for two people you know."

Link nodded. "I figured that."

Zelda shifted a bit, causing Link to shift to accommodate her. "And your armor hurts."

"Sorry."

"Come on," Zelda found his hand and held it. "Stay together and follow me."

"You're not going to run away again?" Zelda stomped on his boot, the only non-armored inch of him she could easily reach. "Ow, ow! Okay, I'm following."

They went down a series of twisting hallways. After the fifth turn Link was completely lost, but Zelda continued to shuffle forward with purpose. At first the only sounds he could hear was their own breathing and shuffling feet, perhaps the scuttling of a random beetle, but soon he could hear the rain outside, and rushing water. These sounds got louder as they moved forward, and next thing he knew there was a slight draft in the hall. Zelda stopped and let go of his hand, pushing a wall/door open, and when she stepped forward into the open space Link could see a dimly lit space in front of him. He stepped out behind her, and jumped. "I know this place," he said.

Zelda smiled. "It's the underground waterway that leads from the castle to various places in the town—and it's also the ruins of the original Hyrule Castle. The current castle was built on top of it, sealing what remains of the first castle here. That is one of the many secret corridors that lead down here."

"Fun," Link said, nodding his head. "Is there anything interesting down here besides broken pillars?"

Zelda shook her head. "Not really. They emptied it out I think."

Link nodded again, and they started walking around. For a while they didn't talk, just ambled around and engaged in their own thoughts, then Link grinned and nudged Zelda's elbow. "So…I'm not just some random boy, am I?"

She laughed and elbowed him back. "You are incorrigible! Of course you're not." At his playful, pleading look, the princess continued. "You must know that by now! After all, how many centuries have our souls met one another? Even in this life, you are a very dear friend to me." Link smiled, and Zelda lightly slapped his arm. "If I had a little brother I imagine he would act just as immature as you."

Link stopped in his tracks, feigning hurt. "Immature? Me? Never! I'm the picture of heroism and nobility."

Zelda kept walking and pursed her lips, smiling. "Mm, yeah, that's why you chased me and pinned me against a wall!"

"You're the one who shoved me down and ran way, Princess," Link protested, catching up with her again. "And you're the one who kissed me to get free. How immature was that?"

"Like I said, little brother, if I really did have a brother I would kiss him like that. And it DID work! I am a free woman, and do not have to live the rest of my life tending your bushes."

"That's okay, I bury bones in the garden away. Your work would never be done."

Zelda laughed. "Really?"

"Not really," Link chuckled, "but there are some puppies in town I've given permission to bury their bones in my yard."

"You are strange," Zelda remarked.

"You aren't as proper as you pretend to be," Link returned, "and I'm not your little brother."

"Why not?" Zelda protested.

"Because," Link explained, "I'm taller than you now."

Zelda crossed her arms again. "There are many younger brothers that become taller than their older sisters. That's what you men do—get taller at random times."

Noticing a large puddle she was about to walk into, Link grabbed Zelda by the waist and placed her on the other side of him. Ignoring her surprised protests, he said, "I have another reason why I can't be your little brother."

Zelda tried to smooth her frizzing hair back into some semblance of order. "Okay, what is this reason?"

"Well, little brothers weren't in love with their older sisters in past lives."

Zelda glared at him out of the corner of her eye, thought a moment, and then sighed. "Okay, you win. That is really, really strange. If you're not my little brother, what are you then?"

Zelda was shivering. Inside all of his armor, Link forgot how cold it must feel to her in this fall rain. He stepped closer to her and draped his arm over her shoulder, rubbing her arm with his hand. "How about a really good friend who happens to be male, and has a very warm and quite alive fur coat handy for the chilly lady?"

"That might be nice," Zelda agreed. Link nodded and stepped back, pulling out the wolf stone. The transformation was quick, and the large wolf padded back to Zelda and pressed his furry side into her. She kneeled down and pressed her face into his mane, burying her hands in his warm fur. "I feel warmer already," she murmured. "Really, Link, I don't know whether I like you better with fur or with armor." Link smacked her with his tail, and Zelda laughed. "Hey! Neither do you." Knowing that her dress was already very rumpled and dirty, Zelda sat down on the ground and leaned against Link, who wrapped his furry wolf body around her and rested his head in her lap. They sat like that for a couple minutes, then Zelda patted Link's head. "Okay, I'm warm now and we should head back." As she stood up and brushed her dress off, Link slipped off the wolf stone and tucked it in its pouch.

"I think you _do_ like me better as a wolf," he teased.

"Well, you do talk a lot less in wolf form."

"Hey!" he said, placing his hand over his heart.

Zelda held up her hands. "Just kidding!" She grabbed his arm as he walked back toward the entrance they came from. "Not that one. I don't want to be seen like this walking through the corridors. We're going to take the one to my room."

"Okay, then. Lead the way."

Zelda nodded and led the way over to a different wall, which she deftly opened and Link closed behind him. The light and water sounds quickly faded away, and Link reached for her hand to keep track of where she was in the pitch darkness. "We are such a strange pair of friends, Link," Zelda said after a while.

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

The princess tugged on his hand. "This, for one. You're the best killer in my country, so ferocious you killed the most evil presence in the universe and King Bulbin gives you his loyalty, and yet I feel so comfortable and safe with you. You're the General of my army, the savior of my kingdom, and a goat herder, who happens to turn into a wolf whenever he wants to and cuddles with me. If you were a man that would not be okay, but because you happen to be canine at the moment cuddling with you becomes perfectly fine. You're my friend and my protector, and yet in the past incarnation that we both remember, to varying extents, we were lovers. It's all very strange."

Link frowned. "When you put it that way…" He sighed. "You know, I'm not the only strange one in this. You're the Princess of Hyrule who has lived a life of luxury, and yet you fight like a man, go on random adventures to dank underground caverns infested with giant spiders, outwit my guards no matter how much I try to train them for your tricks, and play with me like we were ten years old. You're the most level-headed person I know, and yet you're royalty and come from a line of men who gave you no role models to follow. One day you're that high monarch running the kingdom, a steely woman of perfection and wisdom, and the next day you're an easy-going tom boy. And the whole past lives thing…that does make things more complicated."

Zelda was quiet for a while. "We both sound like a bundle of contradictions."

Link squeezed her hand a little, noticing the troubled note in her voice. "Masks, Zelda. How else are we supposed to merge the grandeur of our past selves, and the simplicity of our current ones?"

"I don't know," she whispered. They shuffled in silence for the rest of the trek, then exited into Zelda's room. Zelda double checked the passage after Link closed it, then went to her closet and closed the door.

"Do you want me to step outside?" Link asked.

"If you want to, but you don't have to," Zelda said from inside the closet. "You can sit on the bed if you want. I just need to change."

Link shrugged and flopped down on the bed, staring up at the paintings on her ceiling. He furrowed his brow as he began to recognize the figures on the ceiling from the descriptions in the Hero's Journal. When Zelda came out and headed to her bathroom to fix her hair and makeup, dressed elegantly and properly as always, Link called out to her. "Hey, Zel, why am I on your ceiling?"

"Did you just call me 'Zel'?" she asked, her voice amused.

"You're not answering my question," Link said.

"You're on my ceiling because the legends of the hero have been passed down in the royal family for years, as you know. They're very dear to us—it's the history of our people."

"Yeah, and I can see the Fierce Deity there was most definitely him," Link said, "but the other one is me. He looks exactly like me."

"Correction: you look exactly like him."

"Hm." Link examined it carefully. "Your hair is redder than hers was, you know," he remarked.

"Yours is a little darker, and your eyes are sharper," Zelda returned, pining up her hair and reaching for her tiara. She put it in place, touched up her make up a bit, then walked out to the bed room and sat on the bed on Link's left. "But you still look a lot like him, Link."

"Um…thanks? I like to think I look like myself, though."

"You realize that I didn't see you in human form until that last battle?" Zelda said, her head tilted.

Link sat up. "I hadn't thought about it. Why?"

Zelda reached up and touched his hat, ignoring Link's amused gaze. "I spent my whole life looking at those paintings. Their stories brought me comfort when I was distressed or lonely. I knew you were the one I needed to save my kingdom, according to Midna, but all I thought of you as was a wolf. The divine beast from the Twili legends. I had not yet connected you with the hero from our legends. Then I…came back to myself during that battle, and the first thing I see when my eyes open is the hero of my childhood standing before me ready for battle." She chuckled. "I couldn't believe my eyes. It's as if I'd woken up in the middle of the legends—there was the hero in green, with the master sword in hand, saving me and my kingdom, and there was Ganondorf—not Zant—whom we were suddenly fighting. When I, ah, healed Midna I didn't know about Ganondorf's involvement. It was all so suddenly turned from a terrible war involving the Twili, into the legends of old happening all over again, and I was the Princess in distress." Zelda glanced at Link out of the corner of her eyes, then took his hand in hers. "That whole battle was so surreal to me. I felt all at once as if I'd been looking at you my entire life, and yet really seeing you for the first time. Is that strange?"

"Yes, that is very weird Zelda," Link said, squeezing her hand and letting it go. "But didn't we already establish that this whole thing is completely strange?"

Zelda nodded, rubbing her fingers together, and stood up. "Very true. Well, we should be heading back. It's getting late."

Link crossed to her. "What about the guards?"

Zelda laughed. "They're accustomed to seeing me go out without coming in! Still haven't figured out the passageways though," they were exiting at she talked, and the guards jumped. "have you, boys?" she said.

"We will one day, your highness, and then you won't get away from us so easily," one of the guards said.

"And they never talk about anything they see me doing or wearing or with when I come in and out of my room, do you?"

The guards shook their heads. "Never. We've taken a vow of silence."

"You're doing a very good job of it, I see," Link said.

"Oops, sorry sir!" They saluted Link and went still as statues.

He laughed, and they continued down the hall. "So," Link's said, "since you have a picture of me on your ceiling, can I commission a painting of you on mine?"

Zelda elbowed him. "Of course not! It's not the same thing! Mine is a painting of the histories and legends of our country. It's not my fault you happen to be his twin. If you painted me on your ceiling it would just be disturbing."

"Not fair," Link protested. "especially since it's important to best my men in every area, and the posters and memory sketches of you they put on their walls do you no justice."

"Link!" Zelda nearly yelled. "You let them do that? No!"

Link held his hands out to his sides in defeat. "Hey, they're men confined in a tight space. If they feel the need to pledge their undying love to bad drawings of you, I figure at least they've got loyalty down." He jumped back when Zelda tried to hit him again. "As long as they keep their distance and speak respectfully of you while I'm around, I don't care. And the drawings are tasteful—I make them take down the disrespectful ones."

Zelda shook her head. "Despicable men."

"But you like me anyway. I'm on your ceiling." Link grinned.

"The hero of legend is on my ceiling! NOT you!"

"I AM the hero of legends!" Link insisted. "Therefore, I am on your ceiling! I'm flattered, really Zel."

Zelda crossed her arms and make a show of being icy toward him. "See if I ever bare my heart to you again, General Verdelupo."

"Hey, don't be like that." Link put his hand on Zelda's lower back. "I'm just teasing."

Despite herself, Zelda smiled and elbowed him. "Why can't you let me just stay irritated at you? You have to go and make me smile all the time."

Link smiled back. "What are friends for?"

Zelda stopped. They were standing at the top of the main stairs. "This is where we must part, I'm afraid. I'm heading to a meeting, and you are going to prepare the army."

Link looked around and, seeing no one around but some servants, held Zelda's hands in his own. "I had a great time, Zel. Thank you for your friendship."

Zelda smiled. "Ikal is the only one who has ever called me Zel. I could get used to hearing you say it too." She squeezed his hands a little tighter. "Thank you, Link. I haven't had that much playful fun in…well, a long time." She, too, looked around, and then let go of Link's hands and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He hugged her back, perhaps holding on for a little too long before letting go and stepping back.

"Goodnight, Princess."

Zelda winked at him, her posture and mannerisms shifting into that of the proper princess again. "Goodnight to you, Duke. You will have official word before the night is out, but begin preparing the army anyway. I will plan on seeing you in a formal setting before the army leaves, to see you all off, but I am afraid our next personal day will have to wait until your return home."

"I'll miss you," he said. She smiled, but didn't respond as she turned and heading down the hallway. Link furrowed his brow after her, suddenly feeling heavier in her absence, and headed down the stairway. The servants had his cloak ready for him at the door. He fastened it securely around his shoulders, flipped the fur-lined hood up, and walked back out into the rain. The wolf-man walked slowly to his army through the dark, wet evening, raindrops a background melody to thoughts of the Princess and war struggling against each other in his soul.

**Author's Note**:

Hm, the characters took that one in an unexpected direction. I let them take it this time, though. I figured it was about time at over 88,000 words and 275 pages. By the way, I'm totally excited for the next Wii Zelda! Have you seen the poster? If you print it off in black and white, you can totally see the criss-cross patterns on the hilt of the master sword on her legs. That girl is totally the master sword incarnated and flipped upside down. So strange! I don't own a wii, though, so when it comes out I'm going to have to buy it and live at the house of a friend that DOES own a wii for a week.

Thanks for reading, my loyal friends, and please review! Hey, here's a thought: when you review, you should tell me how long you've been reading. Some of you have been with me since the beginning, and to you I give a huge THANK YOU! I would hug you if I could! Thanks for putting up with me all this time.

—_The Wolfess_


	17. Campaigning for Hyrule

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Sixteen: Campaigning for Hyrule**

The approval came late that night, just as the princess had promised. It had taken a few days to ready the whole army, but the day of departure had finally come. The chill and dew of early morning still lay on East Hyrule Field where the army was lined up in their regimes. The archers stood the front line, followed by the Calvary, and then the infantry. Supply wagons, medics, and magicians brought up the rear, with trumpeters and flag bearers near the front. Light from the sunrise glinted off of their freshly-polished armor, the banner of Hyrule rippling in the wind. Excitement filled the air with a certain electricity, and the trumpeters fidgeted in expectation as they awaited the signal from General Link to blow the sound that would signal the army to move forward together.

In the front of the excited ranks, Link sat in the General's Uniform atop Epona and counseled with his captains.

"Captain Farel?" Link said. The mousy, brown-haired captain in question saluted.

"Yes sir?"

"Have you spoken with the castle guards, as I requested?"

Captain Farel nodded. "Yes sir, and debriefed with Captain Volc. The castle and its town will be well guarded in your absence."

Link smiled. "You have come a long way since I first took control of the army, Captain. I trust that Castle Town will be safe in your hands. Captain Volc?"

"Sir."

"Consider this campaign training for you. We've already gone over why I wanted you to come. Are you ready?"

Captain Volc nodded. "Yes sir. Shall I ready the army captains?" Link had requested that the five army captains stand with their units. The three captains of the border patrols and messengers were not joining them on this campaign.

"That will be fine. Thank you, Volc." With a salute, the ginger-haired captain kicked his mount's sides and rode to fulfill his orders. As he did so, a man wearing the Messengers' Garb rode out of the castle on his steed and headed straight for the General. Link exchanged salutes with him, then motioned for him to deliver his message.

"Sir, the Princess Zelda is here with her entourage. Shall I tell them to enter?"

"Yes," Link said. "That will be great. Thank you, soldier." The messenger nodded and rode back over bridge, while Link turned his mount to the quiet, expectant army. "Hey, listen up!" he shouted above the low murmuring. Link nodded his approval when they quieted down. "The Princess of Hyrule, Zelda, is about to greet us and send us off on our adventure. I expect you all to give her your full attention. Captain Volc, if you would stand your mount behind me." Volc trotted into position, and the General swiveled in his saddle as Zelda exited the castle.

She was dressed in the same royal outfit that she had worn during the war and at the trials, sitting sidesaddle and ladylike on her white mare. Behind her rode Katti and Georgetta looking slightly uncomfortable on older brown horses, Forrad on a distinguished gray stallion, behind them a representative from the Council, and Count Durtain representing the Nobles Council. Four guards flanked them on each side, faces impassive, and the front two carried large trumpets. The entourage walked their horses around the edge of the army to the front. Zelda turned her horse to stand next to Link's and flashed him a private smile while the others circled around to line up behind them. The front guards raised their trumpets and sounded a regal blast into the silent morning air, which made Link cringe and his sensitive ears ring.

"Good morning all!" Zelda said, her voice loud and regal. "I will not delay you for long, as I am sure you are all more than eager to be off. You have a great journey ahead of you, with a noble purpose: to eradicate the remaining darkness from Hyrule's lands of light, and to research whether or not our age-old enemies, the Bulbins, may indeed be capable of mercy. It is a dangerous quest, but I believe that you are more than ready to confront whatever challenges lay ahead of you. I want each of you to know how proud of you feel as I look out over your ranks. You are no longer the army that lost in the Twilight War—you are new, led and trained by our country's greatest hero. I know that he has personally trained many of you." She paused and looked at Link. He nodded, handing her the golden crown that accompanied his metallic uniform. Zelda held it up for the army to see. "It has been ages since Hyrule sent its army on a diplomatic mission, and therefore a long time since this has been needed. While wearing this, General Link of Verdelupo represents the Royal Crown of Hyrule, and his voice will serve as my own. I have full confidence in his ability to take on this position, and in your ability to also act with highest honor and chivalry as you represent the Royal Family throughout the provinces of Hyrule."

Link placed his left fist over his heart and bowed his head as Zelda guided her mount closer with one hand, and placed the crown in place with the other. Adjusting and fastening it in place, Link straightened up and smiled at her, and then at his army. "Men of Hyrule! Are you ready to defend your country?" A roar of agreement rose from the ranks. "To fight for freedom, justice, and honor, and to treat our friends and foes alike with Chivalry?" Another roar. Grinning, Link stood in Epona's stirrups, drew his green-handled sword, and lifted it over his head. "To make the name of the Goddesses and Princess Zelda of Hyrule known and honored by every land and every people, Hylian and Bulbin alike?" Not only did the men roar their agreement, they shook their spears, bows, and axes over their heads, blew their trumpets, and beat their shields with their swords. Link turned his mount and pointed his sword toward the heart of the field. "You remember your orders. Captains, let's move out!"

The trumpeters blew the sound to move the army forward, while Link, Zelda, and her entourage moved to the side. The men marched past them, their armored boots hitting the ground in unison like a pair of giant hands on a drum, their armor flashing the sunlight and banners rippling in the wind.

Count Durtain moved his mount up on the other side of Link's. "Pardon me, General, but I find myself curious as to what your plans are."

Link looked at the darkly-clad noble with curiosity, fully remembering his rude manners at the ball so long ago. Mentally the general shrugged it off and answered the question loudly enough for all to hear over the din. "Well, Count, we are splitting the company. Captain Volc, who is in training to be my second in command, will take a little under half the company the northern route over the bridge of Eldin. They will clear the northern fields and the paths around it, as well as Zora's Domain, the western field, and much of the river. I am taking the rest of the company south, through Kakariko, the Faron Woods and Ordon, and the southern field. We will meet at Lake Hylia, where we will use explosives and other means to make the pass that connects the Desert, where the Bulbins reside, and Lake Hylia passable again. The path is there, just impassible from landslides and disuse—however, the Bulbins pass through it just fine, so I expect our troops will manage."

Durtain nodded, tapping a book he held in his lap. "Yes, good plan. And once you are in the desert? What then?"

"Once in the desert we will commence negations with King Bulbin," Link explained. "If they do not cooperate exactly how we want them to, we will wipe them out. If they do, however, Hyrule's lands will be free and we will have not shed more blood. Perhaps this will signal a turning point in the history of their race. It is possible that one day we may be able to live with them in peace, much like we live with the rather dangerous Mountain Folk the Gorons."

Durtain laughed. "Well that is a quaint dream, sir Link. A warrior and a visionary, what a rare combination."

Link caught the unbelief in the Count's voice, but ignored it. "One way or another, we should return around the onset of winter. I hope to return with supplies for the people and distribute them through the towns on our way back to Castle Town. Their winter will be hard enough as it is, and anyway we can help will be good."

"Count, please let the General depart. We should keep him no longer." Zelda interjected, moving her mount a few steps. Most of the entourage was already walking their horses toward town. Count Durtain nodded and fell back with them, while the princess turned to Link. "Good journeying, Hero, and may the blessings of the Goddesses go with you."

Link smiled at her. "I'm very excited to be heading out. We all are. Thank you, Princess."

Zelda held out her hand to him, which he took and kissed properly. She brushed his cheek with her finger as she took her hand back and softly said, "I will be eagerly awaiting winter for your return. I fear Castle Town will be quite dull without you." She inclined her head to him, then kicked her mount's sides and trotted back to the Castle. Link watched the skirt of her dress swish over the horse's rump, then rode to catch up with his departing troops.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

When the army set camp the first night just outside the gates of Kakariko in the Southern Field, the men had gotten a little taste of battle killing a few rogue Bulbins, Bokoblins, and some remaining fire monsters and Keese up in the Gorons' mountains. Link, along with a few hand selected guards, went into town to gather supplies while the men pitched tent outside and started some small fires. The autumn wind was a bit on the chilly side as the twilight sun sunk blow the western horizon.

"You men have the list of the supplies we need. I'm going to run some other errands in town. We will meet back at camp in two hours."

"Yes Sir." The soldiers saluted Link and went to accomplish their task. Link nodded to himself and went over to an older shop across from the inn belonging to a pessimistic, self-centered man named Barnes.

"You didn't bring any fire in here did ya, boy?" a voice grumbled from the back of the shop.

Link chuckled. "Barnes, it's me. And I didn't—you can sniff fire from a mile away."

A balding head peeped around the corner, the face covered by a welding mask. "Oh! Hey, you came about the new bomb didn't ya?" Barnes flipped the mask up and adjusted one of the straps on his overalls as he waddled his way to the front counter.

Link leaned his elbows on the customer side of the counter. "I did indeed. What's this I hear about a test to carry it, though?"

Barnes crossed his arms over his chest, his soot-covered face crinkling in what resembled a cocky smile. "Well, it's kinda large and a young fella like yerself can't carry it. You need to prove you're a real man to carry this one."

"Come on, Barnes, really? I saved the whole kingdom, including your sorry butt, and you're going to make me take a test?" The bomb-maker's bulbous nose thrust up into the air. Link sighed. "I even hit my twenty-year-old growth spurt these last six months. I've grown almost a foot, can't you see that?" Barnes nodded, but still didn't acquiesce. "Fine, have it your way. I don't have time for this. What's the bomb called, and what's the test?"

"Well, it's a Powdered Keg." Barnes patted a medium sized barrel with a skull and cross bones painted on the side. "Ya light this baby here—" he motioned to the fuse sticking out the top of the barrel "—and ya have four minutes to get it where it's supposed to go before it explodes. To prove you can do this without blowing yerself to bits," he paused to stifle a nasally chuckle, "is to carry it up to the iron gate that's blocking off the northern field. This baby'll get rid of that nuisance for good. If ya do that without killing yerself, come get another and blow up the other gate too."

"Fine," Link sighed. He held out his hands for the bomb. "Give it here."

Barnes rolled the barrel out to the front, huffing and puffing as he did so, and Link picked it up. "Got it secure?" the bomb maker asked. Link shifted it about in his arms a bit and nodded. "Bring it outside so we can light it. Don't want to blow up the shop." They went outside, where Barnes took out a small match and held it up to the fuse. "Ready? And…run!"

The fuse hissed and sparked, and the wolf-man turned and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The barrel was already starting to feel heavy and the muscles in his arms ache. The fuse burned down so quickly—he was almost there, but he didn't think the fuse was going to make it that far. At the last second he hefted it up over his head and used his whole body to throw the barrel the rest of the way to the gate. It landed right next to the ugly iron structure and exploded, sending the iron flying everywhere, a few pieces bouncing off of his armor. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his sleeve and walked back to Barnes' Bombs.

Barnes already had another barrel waiting for him on the front porch. Link stuck his head in the door. "Barnes, I'm back. No wounds."

The bomb maker looked him over carefully, the nodded. "Fine, good. Take that one then."

Link closed the door and hefted the barrel up onto his shoulders. This time he walked it over to the gate—the gate to the south was farther away than the northern one—and set it down right next to the iron. He took a match from his pouch and lit it, then, walked a safe distance away and waited for the explosion.

When he returned to the shop, Barnes had a certificate waiting for him on the counter. "This certifies that you can carry those bombs and buy as many as ya like. This is a special certificate for you, since you're the General and all. You can certify your men to carry them too."

Link looked it over, then tucked it away. "Thanks Barnes. Now, I need every one of them you have."

Barnes' jaw dropped. "EVERY ONE? Now, see here, it took me ages to make them bombs! Why do ya need that many for? How're ya going to carry 'em?"

"In large supply wagons handled and tended by pre-certified soldiers to handle all types of explosives. We're using them to open up the path to the dessert, which became impassable years ago. I need to take my army through the mountains."

Barnes grumbled a bit, then shrugged and turned to slink up his stairs. "Well, I'll get some of them Goron boys to help me move em. You bring those wagons in and we'll load em up. These'll do the job for ya, sure enough."

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

While General Link was getting his supplies in order and resting his army for the night, a small group of peasant-dressed men with gold rings gathered at the back of shadowy pub near the back ally in Castle Town. The pub was dirty and loud, filled with all sorts of sly-looking men and brawlers. There were five men sitting at the secluded table in the back corner of the establishment, four of them with heads turned toward the ebony-haired one with a stack of parchment in front of him.

"Thank you for coming," the smooth-voiced leader said. "I have gathered you here on a matter of state, as the few men who have not been fooled by General Link of Verdelupo's charms. Here I have gathered a stack of evidence against the Duke, one copy for each of you to peruse." He passed the stacks of parchment around the table, and then continued. "Using various channels of connection in my power, I have watched the Duke carefully and gathered certain facts, observations, and testimonies. Using the latest technology, called a pictograph, I have even gathered a few suspicious images of the Duke. Take a moment to look them over."

After a few minutes, one of the men cleared his throat and spoke up. "This is all very interesting. We three—" he motioned to the two men to his left, "have suspected the General of hiding something. He is not our favorite person, to say the least." The man's two companions nodded and clenched their hands into fists. "I personally oversee the borders of Hyrule. Between the three of us we have seen most of the land of Hyrule this man would have had to traverse to complete his mission, and we can attest that it is impossible for a single man to accomplish what he supposedly did. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we agree that he needs to be exposed for the deceiver he is."

The ebony haired leader nodded. "Thank you. May I count on your allegiance?"

The three men nodded, and the first one spoke up again. "Whatever you need done, let us know. I know plenty of men under our supervision who will also help us expose the General in a time of need."

"Wonderful. That is very helpful. Now, what about you Gorkenheim?"

The fourth man lifted his eyes from the tanker of beer in his large hairy fist. The whites of the eyes were bloodshot, his hair clipped and ragged, his face gaunt from his time in prison. "I hate 'is guts. I'll do anythin' to take 'im down and see _him _suffer." He reached around and rubbed a large scabbing mark on his arm where the symbol of indentured slavery had been branded into him upon his release from the dungeons. "I wouldn't mind seeing _her_ suffer along with 'im, weak wench of a corrupted monarch."

The leader narrowed his eyes and looked around the pub. "I am grateful for your allegiance to my cause, but such brazen words are not safe even here. Many of these men were set free on her mercy. We will try to convince her of the Duke's deception and give her the chance to enact justice of her own will. Perhaps in his absence her mind will clear up enough to see the truth. If she does not, well…" he trailed off and dipped his head, tapping his fingertips together on the table. "We will remove anyone who becomes an obstacle to the enactment of justice upon this man."

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

When the sun rose over the southern field, the Army of Hyrule was already awake and on the move. Link, astride Epona with his golden armor reflecting the orange sunrise, stood back with the wagons that held the bombs.

"Your cargo is too dangerous to be carting all over Hyrule, especially with Bulbin archers out there shooting flaming arrows at us. If even one of those arrows were to hit these wagons, we would all be killed in the explosion. This field is safe. Wait here while we clear the other fields and I will send some men to fetch you on our way to rendezvous with Captain Volc at Lake Hylia."

The solider saluted. "Yes sir."

Link saluted back. "Good. I don't suspect that it will take us too long to clear out the Faron Woods, Ordon, and the Southern Field. There are more of us than there are of them. Three days tops, but more likely it will take two. I would prefer that you not go into town. If you need something to do, there are some hidden caves over there that you are welcome to attempt and clear out. I'm going to catch up with the men, see you in a few days."

Quite a few Bokoblin bodies lined the road connecting the Southern Hyrule Field and Kakariko's field. Coming through the opening into the larger field, Link could hear the sounds of small skirmishes before he saw them. Under the guidance of their Captains, the army spread out through Hyrule field in smaller units and destroyed whatever rogue enemies they could find. Though the army moved slowly because of their numbers, the field was soon cleared and the troops gathered in the center of the field for further instructions, while a few with minor wounds received healing.

"I want to make this a quick as possible," Link shouted. "I want two units to clear the connecting paths off of the field, and then meet back here. The rest of us, myself included, will venture into Faron Woods and the city of Ordon. I expect we will meet back here late tomorrow evening, pick up the supply wagons with our bombs, and rendezvous with Captain Volc's units at the bridge over Lake Hylia either late that evening or tomorrow morning. If there are no questions about these plans, let's move out and get this done with."

The army split, heading in opposite directions, and Link led his forces into the woods.

"Hey, guy! I haven't seen you in a long time!" said Coro the oil salesman as Link came into view. "Do you need some oil?"

Link shook his head. "No, Coro, thanks. The Army and I are here to get rid of the evil still infesting these woods."

Coro's eyes widened as soldiers in gleaming silver armor marched into view and began to fan out through the woods. "I can see that, guy. Wow. If you need anything, anything at all, feel free to ask."

Link nodded, then motioned for a group of ten soldiers to follow him and took the familiar road into town. The small village was still as quiet as ever, secluded from all the chaos of the outside world. The familiar green trees and distant sound of baying goats greeted Link as he led the way past his own empty house, down the small connecting trail, and into the main part of the village. Having heard the sound of their armor clinking, the people of Ordon were standing outside of their doors waiting when Link and his soldiers came into view.

"Oh, Link! It's you! Gave us such a start," said Sera, the only shop owner in Ordon, her cat Ginger cradled in her arms. The kids, Fergie, Jaggle, and Haunch all waved to him. Uli and baby Suun sat on their front porch rocking and playing with small toys, while Rusl and Colin practiced swordplay in the front yard. Link talked to them briefly, but pointedly made his way through the town to Mayor Bo.

"Hey, Bo. How are things around here?" Link's called out to the large man.

Bo grinned and slapped his knees. "Fine, my boy, nothing new. We ain't seen you in a long time. What's goin' on?"

"Nothing you need to be worried about. We're on a campaign to rid Hyrule of the remaining evil terrorizing its people. As we speak, my soldiers are going through the woods and killing all of the remaining evil in them. By the time we leave, the woods will be safe again. I wanted to come into town and let you know myself."

Bo clapped his hands together and stood out of his chair. "Well, my boy, that is wonderful! These woods haven't been safe since you were a lad no older than Talo. We're all very grateful to you. Hey, go on up to the ranch and say howdy to Ilia and Fado. They're herdin' the goats up there and would be mighty glad to see you."

Link nodded, motioning for his soldiers to stay back, and trotted up the hill to the goat corral. The blue animals got visibly more excited as they saw him approach, baying more and running around. The white stallion Daru grazed comfortably near the barn, and on the grass near the horse flowers Ilia and Fado sat with their back to him talking.

"Well, I'm glad to see you up here doing some work for once," Link called out, leaping off of Epona. Ilia turned around and shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand, then hopped up and ran across the field to him.

"Link!" she shouted as she barreled into him.

Laughing, Link hugged her back. "You know, throwing yourself into my armor might hurt a little," he chuckled.

"Yeah, it did," Ilia said, letting him go. "But that's okay. I missed you!"

"Hey bud!" Fado came up next to Link and patted him on the back. "Wow, you grow a few feet in the last six months or something?"

Link shook his head. "Well, one foot I guess. Happened pretty fast, haha."

"Great. Well, I'll leave yall to chat. I'm gunna get back to the goats." The large man waved and walked back to the corral. Link smiled at him, then turned to Ilia.

"I can't stay long. I'm on a campaign with the Army. Just wanted to stop by while I was in the area."

Ilia's smile drooped a little, but the sad look passed so quickly Link almost didn't notice it. "Well, I'm glad you stopped to say hi. How are things in Castle Town?"

Link sat down, Ilia sitting next to him, and smiled up into the sky. "Challenging, completely out of my comfort zone, but good. I get restless a lot. The army is coming along nicely, I'm pretty proud of them, and I'm getting used to the gigantic empty house. I'm rarely there anyway."

"Very good," Ilia nodded. "And how's Princess Zelda?"

"Oh, she's great. Working really hard to restore the Kingdom and prepare for the winter. She stresses out too much really, never gives herself much time to have fun or relax, but I guess that's what it takes to be a ruler. She always puts her people first. We get to spend a fair amount of time together, though, and I really enjoy that time." Ilia started chuckling, and Link looked at her with his brow furrowed. "What?"

"Sorry," she said, stifling her laughter. "You really like her, don't you?"

Link nodded, still slightly confused. "Yes. She's an amazing woman, and good friend."

"Hm, 'amazing woman' huh? I've never heard you describe anyone like that before."

Link frowned. "What are you saying, Ilia?"

Ilia stood up and started ambling back to the coral. "Oh, nothing Link. Nothing at all."

"That's a load of goat turd," Link said, standing up and running over to her. "What are you implying?"

Ilia laughed again. "Who do you think you're fooling, Link? I've known you our whole lives. You're infatuated with her."

"No, no I'm not. You are very, very wrong."

"Uh huh. How much time do you spend with her? Or thinking about her?"

"Erm…well…"

"Exactly. Stay in naïve denial all you want. You'll figure it out eventually."

Link growled in frustration. "You are irritating, you know that? She's a fascinating person is all. I'm not 'infatuated' as you put it. And even if I was, how are you so okay with that?"

Ilia's eyes flicked to Fado, then back to Link. "I don't know. I just am."

"Woah, woah, woah. What was that little secretive glance?" Link leaned toward her, looking from her to Fado and back. "Should I notice something here?"

"Shh, keep your voice down you idiot!" Ilia hissed, shoving Link's shoulder. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

Link crossed his arms over his chest, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Fine. You write it in a letter and get Rusl to get it to me by hawk. I won't be able to make it back here for a while."

"Whatever. Don't you have an army waiting?"

Link shrugged. "Yeah. Well, bye."

"Bye Link."

They hugged, then Link whistled for Epona and swung up on her back. He turned in the saddle to see Fado talking with Ilia in the field. Frowning at the strange twinge in his heart, Link shook his head clear and rode back to where his troops would be waiting.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Though it was the middle of the day, Durtain sat in his study with the curtains drawn and tied shut. In front of him was the strange old book he'd gotten from the Black Market a few weeks before, its pages ragged and torn. In his harried state as of late, the Count had cut his fingers on its pages many times, and his own blood stained the edges of the pages as he flipped through them on a search for something he didn't exactly know. Other than the book itself, there were maps, pictographs, sketches, testimonies, and research on the Duke of Verdelupo all around him. It spilled from his desk top onto various chairs and tables, even onto the floor.

A knock on his door roused him from his search. He blinked for a moment, then ran his fingers through his hair. "Come in," he said, his voice tired and scratchy.

The butler came in with a silver tray in one hand, a piece of paper in the other. "Sir, your lunch."

"Just set it over there," Durtain said, motioning toward a table where his breakfast sat untouched. The butler picked up the breakfast without a word and set the lunch in its place. "Anything else?" asked the Count.

"Yes sir, a message from the mistress of the orphanage. You didn't come to your appointment with her yesterday."

Durtain glanced up at the butler once, then sighed. "Just give her whatever it was she needed. I don't need to see the reports."

"Very well, sir," said the butler with a bow. "And your meeting with Miss Agatha tonight? Will you be making that?"

Last month he had forgotten to meet with his daughter entirely. Durtain frowned at the fact he had forgotten it again, if the butler hadn't reminded him. "Yes," he sighed. "Remind me frequently, please, as long as no one is around to hear."

The butler bowed again. "I shall do that, sir. Good day." He closed the door behind him. The Count leaned back in his plush study chair and stared at the ceiling. What was happening to him? In his search for justice and truth, all other things in his life seemed to fade to nothingness. He could not keep up this fight on his own—he needed help, more help than the small group in the pub could offer. He needed more power, more leads, more evidence.

_I can help you._

"Who's there?" Durtain sat up, his eyes scanning the room. "Come out!"

_You need power…I can give you power. You need influence…I can give you influence. You need help…I can help you._

In the darkest corner of Durtain's study the shadows seemed to move. The Count stood up from his chair so fast he knocked it over on the ground. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice slightly trembling.

_I can help you_.

His mind began to feel fuzzy and light. Before he realized it his feet were moving toward the shadowed corner.

_I can help you…_

**Author's Note**:

And the winners of the "you've been reading my story for the longest amount of time" contest ARE: Silvara, The Ninja Squirrel, and Blade Summers! You get an imaginary cookie. And a gold star. And all my love! Haha. I know, sad prizes. Ah well.

As for the chapter, yey chapters! I don't have much to say about it. It was really difficult for me for a while there. Yey story moving forward. Enjoy, and please review! Have a great rest of your summer. See you next chapter.

Oh yeah. And I'm a knife salesman now. Go figure.

—_The Wolfess_


	18. Tottering from Shadows to Darkness

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Seventeen: Tottering from Shadows to Darkness**

The monarch of Hyrule hurried through the halls of her castle home, customary small army of servants, guards, and advisors in tow. Warmly attired in a fur-lined fall dress, she tugged on brown leather gloves and clipped off instructions to an advisor, answers to another, schedules to the one after that. Her voice carried through the hallways above the dull roar of her entourage, crisp and clear as a winter wind in late summer.

"I will return in a few short days, and I will not be unaccompanied." Zelda said, her even pace not slackening. "Now if I delay any long I will not arrive at my destination before sundown. If you have any more questions please defer to Forrad, Georgetta, or Katti. You are all dismissed." Though there was some grumbling they did as she asked, and Zelda continued toward the stables without pause. As the last guard rounded the corner out of sight, Ikal seemed to drop down from an invisible shadowed nook in the ceiling and matched the princess's pace.

"Your people adore you," the Sheikah said, voice quiet and neutral. The silver eye hanging from her neck flashed in the torchlight.

Zelda sighed, tucking a strand of stray hair back into its thick braid. "I know, Ikal, I know. I love them too, of course, but sometimes their frenzied attentions weary me."

"You are the acting queen, Zelda, title or no title. You cannot live the life of a princess any longer."

Shooting a quick glare at her guard and friend, the princess walked a little quicker. "_I know_, _Ikal_. Do not pretend to be Forrad and lecture me on the nature of my new roles, as opposed to everything I used to be not even a year ago." They were exiting into the gardens as Zelda continued. The summer blooms had already died and the leaves had turned, but a few fall flowers still hung on to life, showing off their bold maroon and orange colors. "I understand that personal space and time are not things I can afford any longer. I understand that I am required to have at least five people with me at all times, often more, and that my people love me and desire to lavish me with extravagances I don't desire. I understand that the simple girl I long to be is the one I cannot be, and that the name I long to use will forever be substituted with 'your majesty', 'your highness', 'princess', 'my liege', and eventually 'my queen'. I do not need you to remind me of—"

Ikal grabbed the princess's arm and pulled the ranting woman to a stop. "Zel, calm down." Zelda's eyes flashed, but the red-haired woman continued before the princess could speak. "I apologize."

Zelda closed her cerulean eyes and groaned, then rolled her head around on her shoulders and sighed. "I'm sorry too. This trip will be very good for me." They continued walking, a little slower this time. There was a large carriage waiting for them at the mouth of the gardens. It was deep blue and sported a large golden Royal symbol on both doors and the back, pulled by a team of six large brown horses. Zelda's luggage was very sparse and mounted on the back of the carriage, just above a large brass ring to which Zelda and Ikal's personal horses were tied. At the sight of his Princess approaching, the carriage driver hopped down from his perch and rushed to open the door for her.

Zelda paused just before stepping up and held out her hand to him. "Hello Graetin. It has been a long time since I have required your services, hasn't it?"

The short, gravely balding man took her hand and bowed over it. His face was rather remarkable in that the roundness of it all seemed scrunched around his bulbous nose, the tip of which was tinted red in the fall chill. "It has been that, yer Majesty," he said.

The princess and her Sheikah got into the carriage, Graetin waddling around the side and hopping into the driver's seat. He flicked the reins and clicked his tongue, the carriage gently lurching forward, and Zelda leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. Ikal seemed to fade into the shadows of the darkly-colored interior across from her charge.

Though the rest of the castle either didn't know where Princess Zelda was going or thought she was making an extended diplomatic visit to neighboring provinces and towns, the actual purpose of the trip was to visit and assess the Sheikah's Hidden Village in the mountain pass between the Bridge of Eldin and North Hyrule Field. She had sent some supplies up that way in secret, instructing the team who took the load to leave it sitting on the north side of the bridge. Any dealings with the elusive shadow folk were difficult to maneuver—only the monarchy were allowed to know the whereabouts of the small town also called Shadow Kakariko, or Old Kakariko. The original location of the town of Kakariko was said to have been at the foot of Death Mountain, near to the Zora's River. Shadow Kakariko was nestled almost a mile into the mountain face, underneath a long inactive volcano whose name and presence has faded away with time, and relatively near to the Zora River and Snowpeak .

"Ikal," Zelda started, shifting her azure gaze from the window to her shadowed friend. "If Old Kakariko used to be located at the foot of Death Mountain and in close proximity to Zora's River, why are those two locations so very far away now?"

Ikal was flipping small needles through her fingers absently as she answered. "My people say that when the volcano went dormant and started getting colder, the friendly rock people moved to what is now known as Death Mountain, for Gorons' choice food is made from the active lava. The proud fish people moved farther back and higher up as years and natural tribulations caused their river to enlarge and their waterfall to grow. Stubbornly, some would say, my people have held on to their ancestral home. Some speculate that our passion for tradition is what causes the steep rises and declines in our population, but many do not agree. For all that my people cling to their practices and traditions, the Sheikah shift as quickly as shadows against light in the face of this Light World's changes. When light moves into areas once occupied by shadow, the shadows simply move and shift to accommodate the light, yet never lose the very essence that makes it shadow. Were it to lose that quality, it would become simply darkness—the all together absence of light—and give way to evil."

Zelda nodded, brow furrowed slightly in concentration. She looked out the window to the field quickly giving way the Bridge of Eldin. "It is a fine line between shadow and darkness, is it not my friend?" she murmured. Ikal nodded, otherwise seeming to focus on her needles. Undeterred by her silence, Zelda continued. "The time elapsed between twilight and darkness is fine, is it not? One moment we are in the dregs of the twilight hour, the next it is night, and none can say exactly when it happened. Is it not the same with shadow and darkness?" the red-haired warrior seemed to grunt in response. Zelda frowned. "Has your tribe ever struggled with that line in its history, especially now in its near-complete isolation from the world of light in which it lives?" Ikal glanced up, the golden colors of evening's light reflecting in the depths of her red eyes, and ignored the princess. Something in Zelda's gut shifted with unease.

Just then the carriage rolled to a stop and Zelda jolted from her thoughts. Ikal slid out quicker than a ghost while Graetin opened the door for the princess.

"Yer Highness," he said, bowing as Zelda stepped out. Ikal already had their horses untied and Zelda's things strapped atop them. The carriage had stopped just on the north side of the bridge. To maintain secrecy, the princess and her Sheikah protector would ride on horses from there, and Graetin with his carriage would return home. At the appointed date of departure, he would be in that same spot to take her back into town.

Zelda mounted her white mare, stroking her neck and stealing a glance at Ikal out of the corner of her eye. The Sheikah was acting strange…but, the shadow tribe had many secrets, and it was possible that she had hit upon one.

"Good evenin' Princess Zelda. We'll be here to pick ya up."

Zelda inclined her head, showing none of her unease outwardly. "Thank you. I will see you then. Have a good trip into town, and give your wife my best wishes."

The stout man bowed his head. "I will. She'll be pleased."

Zelda clicked her tongue and urged her mare forward, Ikal falling in line soon after. Exiting into the rocky pass almost immediately made the cab driver disappear from view. The gray rocks of the mountain towered around them, obscuring all but the smallest sliver of fast-fading twilight from view. Ikal took the lead, quickening their pace to a canter. Zelda pulled the hood of her cloak tighter about her as the wind, much colder this far north, bit her cheeks and the tip of her nose. They stopped abruptly at the mouth of what appeared to be a cave, almost unnoticeable to one not looking to see it. Swinging off of their horses, they grabbed the bags off of the saddles and left the horses there to be brought in another way later, as the ledge up to the cave mouth was too high for the horses to climb.

"Ikal, my friend, there is something unusual about your silence. Is something wrong?" Zelda asked, voice soft as they entered the cave. Ikal snapped her fingers, a strange blue flame appearing above her open palm and lighting the dark cavern.

The Sheikah turned her head slightly, back to the princess, her thick red, barb-tipped braid flopping over her shoulder. "I…am sworn to silence. Come."

Zelda's stomach churned again, heart quickening. Narrowing her eyes and steeling her will, she lifted her chin like the royal she was and strode to meet whatever waited ahead with trained confidence.

The ruined remains of Old Kakariko stood in its hidden accolade in shambles and ruins. By all looks, no effort had been made to fix up the once Bulbin-infested houses, and the town was so empty the wind could be heard whistling through the doors and broken window panes. The air carried an unnatural chill on it that had nothing to do with the oncoming winter months. The black and violet clad Sheikah led her princess into the main street of the abandoned town, crimson gaze roving the shadows and the hilltops, her thumb rubbing the butt of a small dagger strapped to her thigh.

"Ikal?" Zelda asked, voiced hushed. "What…"

The Sheikah shot her a sharp look to silence her, then led them over to Impaz's shoddy house. Ikal held the door open for Zelda to enter first, then came in behind her and closed the door, standing in front of it like a statue. The interior of Impaz's house had been cleaned quite a bit, almost completely redecorated.

What looked to be a stack of boxes at the back of the room rippled, like the face of a pond. A hand slid through the "boxes" soon followed by the rest of the body. A tall silver-haired woman stood there, crimson Sheikah eyes hard as blood on the edge of a knife, clad in traditional blue and white Sheikah garb and silver armored plating. She had a small dagger strapped to one thigh, a longer, thinner dagger in a sheath on the back of her hips, and red sash of expensive material slung around her shoulders.

"Teela," Zelda said, nodding her head to the Sheikah woman.

Teela smiled, a hard, sharp smile with thin lips, and bowed in return. "Your highness, welcome to Shadow Kakariko."

Zelda's smile did not waver, though her gaze hardened. "Thank you, though this is a rather odd welcome from the Shadow Folk. Are you and your husband, Letaln, the Sheikah survivors?"

"Yes, and more than ten yet less than twenty others." The hard smile extended at the corners.

Zelda's brow furrowed. "More than…" hey eyes flashed behind her to Ikal, whose face remained impassive. "Ikal reported the survival of one couple and Impaz."

"Which is what I reported to her at the time," Teela said. "When she reported to me later and discovered our true numbers, I swore her to silence with an old-style Sheikah vow." The lithe woman paced a few steps as she continued. "Your highness, with all due respect, my tribe feels that you have been…unreliable, distant, and naïve. The debated raged for many days as to the nature of our bonds to protect the royal family, and in the end our council decided to give you an opportunity to prove that you are worth our continued alliance. We have known nothing but war since we allied with the monarchy of Hyrule thousands of years ago—and the Sheikah know. We never forget our history."

Zelda pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing. "Where is Impaz?"

Greif passed over Teela's face like a veil. "She passed to the Sacred Realm a month after the war ended, leaving myself the elder of the village." The shadow passed, and she snapped her fingers. A silver-haired man with dark skin and the traditional Sheikah garb emerged from the box portal, two other Sheikah behind him. "Letaln, darling, will you show her Highness to her lodgings?" He nodded and motioned for Zelda to follow him. The two Sheikah with him took her bags from her and followed behind. With a sigh, the princess did as they commanded, pausing long enough to lock eyes with Ikal and frown. The red-haired girl frowned and looked away.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Inside the box illusion was a portal that took the group of four straight down. When the light faded and Zelda could see their surroundings, she stifled a gasp with the back of her hand. They stood in a cavern so large that the bulk of Castle Town could have fit inside. It was lit with the strange magical blue fire that Ikal had summoned in her hand. Rows of blue fire torches lined the walkways and sprouted from stone houses that seemed carved out of the walls. The blue glow cast an eerie light in the cavern that lent the Sheikah abode a strange beautiful yet haunting atmosphere. There seemed to be levels to the cavern, at least three that Zelda could make out, and various ledges that jutted out of the walls higher up. The stone houses were covered with a shining polished black stone with lines of a silver mineral worked through that glittered in the torchlight. Their insides were brighter than the main cavern, but muted by thick curtains that covered every window so that the cavern remained dark.

Letaln urged the princess onward, firm but not unkind. A series of thin raised walkways connected the various levels and sections of the cavern, some vaulting rather grandly to reach one of the high ledges. The walkways that Zelda and her guards walked had rectangular slabs of the polished black stone in them so that they reflected the torches and were easier to see while walking, but unnoticeable from a distance.

They walked across so many paths that Zelda lost track of where they were or where they had come from. The shadows in the cavern seemed to shift and move, while strange breezes gusted by her as if someone had passed close without her seeing. They went up one particularly steep walkway that led to a lower ledge, on which a large glittering stone house sat. Letaln and the two Sheikah guards brought her to the front door, which was made of wood and had the Sheikah eye in silver across it.

"This is where you are staying, your majesty," the dark male Sheikah said, bowing. The two others swept by them into the house and set her bags in the middle of the floor, then exited and disappeared into the shadows. Zelda raised an eyebrow at that. "We will not be guarding you, Princess Zelda. You cannot escape these caverns." Letaln bowed again and stepped back into the shadow. Though she could see him no longer, she heard his voice as if from a distance say, "Most of us wish you no harm…do not fear. We will retrieve you in the morning."

After a few moments wait, when she was sure her captors had left, Zelda let out the breath she had been holding in a huff. She took off her gloves and walked into the house, closing the door behind her. "Well," she whispered to herself. "What a predicament this is."

With a sigh, she shook her head a little and went about exploring her house. It wasn't bright inside, by Hylian standards, but it was enough to see with little problem. The house was comfortably if simply furnished. It was a full house, complete with bathroom, kitchen, living room, and study, but Zelda was only interested in the master bedroom she found toward the back of the house. She was beginning to feel the fatigue from the day. It was decorated in white and blue—the colors of Hyrule—with a closet big enough for her clothing. Determined to not pause long enough for panic to set in, Zelda immediately started unpacking her clothes and putting them away.

That done, she put the empty bags in the back of the closet on the floor and went to the study. It was decorated in deep reds and rich wood, with full bookcases lining the walls. Zelda scanned the titles. Many of them were books she herself owned—there were few books the Royal Library didn't contain—but as she neared the end of the last bookshelf an old volume bound in black leather caught her eye. The spine read "History of the Sheikah" in large silver letters, then under that in a smaller type, "The Great War to Present". She smiled to herself. It was no coincidence that this was the only book on the shelf she had not read. Taking it out, she crossed to a large plush chair in the room and sat. Her large, warm cloak Zelda wrapped around her own chilled body for a blanket, then whispered a few words into her palm. A bright natural fire appeared hovering over her palm. She set it in the air as if placing it on an invisible shelf and smiled at its comforting natural light, then cracked the book open.

Having no way to gauge the passing of time, a few minutes could have passed or a few hours by the time she pulled her head out of the book and rubbed her eyes.

"Learning some things you didn't know?" a familiar voice said from the hallway. Ikal stepped into the doorway to the study and leaned on the frame.

Zelda frowned. "Indeed," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm "I am learning many things I didn't know before. What naivety I have been living under."

To her surprise, the red-haired Sheikah stepped into the room and dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead to the floor in a full formal bow. It was a couple moments before the princess realized that her old friend's shoulders were trembling, though her voice was steady when she spoke. "I beg your forgiveness, Princess Zelda. I made the vow before I understood what was going on, and then there was nothing I could do about it. The old Sheikah Vow is magical, broken on penalty of death."

Zelda closed the book and set it on the table beside her, then crossed her arms over her chest. "Very well. What about all that business about the second tear being for the second extinction? Your people are fine."

"I lied to you," Ikal said. "The tear in the Sheikah symbol was not for the first extinction—as you read, I'm sure, our people betrayed the royal family. In remorse for what we had done, we added a single tear drop to the Sacred Eye to remind us of our sins. When she made me take the vow, I added the second tear in protest." She lifted her forehead off the floor, red eyes pleading. "I've wanted nothing to do with it. Teela gave me no choice. I was mistaken to have put my trust in her when Impaz died. It had been so long since I had left the castle, I had no idea about the suspicions and unrest of my people."

"I want to believe you, Ikal," Zelda said, her expression shifting from angry to sad, "but you have lied to me so smoothly these past few months. All the hard work the people of Hyrule have done, the difficult things we have had to navigate together, and you were lying the entire time. All these years of our friendship…I cannot believe what you say now."

"I knew that," Ikal said, practically jumping up. "That's why I decided to prove it. First, I have something for you." The Sheikah girl ran out into the hall, then came back with a package wrapped in her arms. She placed it in Zelda's lap, then returned to her bowing position. The princess examined the wrapping, then opened it. Inside was an old-looking Sheikah uniform in an outdated style from a couple hundred years ago. Zelda's eyes widened in recognition.

"This is the Princess Zelda I's Sheikah garb from the wars!" she said, jumping up and holding it over her body. "She fought alongside the Hero of Time in this very uniform when The Thief was defeated and brought to justice…"

"I also bring you information about the challenge Teela is sending you on tomorrow, and supplies I think you will need that she would not give you," Ikal continued.

Zelda sighed, set the Sheikah uniform on the chair behind her, and dropped to her knees in front of her friend, the voluminous skirt of her dress puffing around her. She placed one hand on Ikal's shoulder and used the other to lift her chin. When red eyes met cerulean, Zelda smiled. "I believe you, my friend, and I forgive you."

Ikal sat up and the two friends hugged each other, then stood and brushed themselves off.

"Shall we go over this information, then?" Zelda said, taking the princess of old's uniform in her arms, extinguishing the normal fire, and walking with the Sheikah to the master bedroom.

"It's a test of your prowess and strength," Ikal said. "We Sheikah guard a temple set back in the mountains. It is a shadow temple full of Hyrule's bloody history of greed and ruthlessness. She thinks that you don't know what happened to our people because of the orders from the Royal Family in the war before the first princess was ever born, where Hyrule lands were united. I know better—I've seen the records you studied of that when I was a girl, but she didn't believe me. What Teela, in her arrogance and hurt, doesn't see is that the shadows in the temple have been unusual since the war. There is a darkness in the temple that she doesn't recognize." The girl's face looked troubled, her eyes distant. "Remember what you said earlier about the line between shadow and darkness?" Zelda nodded. "I fear that the temple's darkness has affected a few of our tribe, including Teela. A few of our good shadow people have retreated so far from the light that balances us, so far into the temple's deep darkness, that they have become selfish, angry, some even tainted by madness."

Zelda was quiet, thinking of this as they entered the bedroom and she started dressing for sleep. Ikal turned her back to grant her princess some privacy, and they discussed the few specifics that Ikal knew. There wasn't much, admittedly, because Ikal had not been in the temple recently, and the darkness inside might have gotten worse. Suddenly Zelda's limbs felt tired and her eyelids heavy. The weight of her long day crashed upon her all at once it seemed.

Dressed in a warm, thick nightgown, the princess slipped into the bed. It was softer and warmer than she expected in such a dark, mysterious place. "Thank you, Ikal," Zelda said, voice barely above a whisper.

Ikal kneeled by the bedside, expression earnest. "I've already told Teela that I'm coming with you. She didn't like it, but she's going to let me. Not as if she could have stopped me—I won't let you face this alone."

Zelda smiled, patted her friend's cheek, and as the Sheikah exited the room the weary princess drifted to a much needed slumber. The lights in the house dimmed to allow her proper rest, as if sensing the slowing of her heartbeat, and the Sheikah cavern's shadows deepened. In the back of the princess's mind memories not her own of an ancient darkness and a bloody temple played like nightmares in her dreams.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Clouds had moved over the moon. They blotted out the stars, and left sweet darkness to veil the midnight activities of Count Durtain and his team. The men stood in the main square, all of them looking nervous but the Count himself as a few workers knocked over the giant Royal symbol in the middle of the fountain at the center of Hyrule Castle Town.

"Why are we doing this, Durtain?" one of the captains gathered said. "It doesn't feel right…the royal phoenix has been on this fountain for hundreds of years."

Durtain faced the work being done with a dark book tucked under one arm. He was dressed all in black, his black hair swept back, skin unusually pale. His most trusted servant, Tarno, stood by his side, and the four conspirators stood in a line behind them. After a couple moments of uncomfortable silence, the Count turned. A smile spread over his face that sent a shiver down their twisted spines. "The Princess departed today on a diplomatic trip, did you know that?" he asked, his tone quiet and hard. They shook their heads. "Well, she is gone for at least a week, perhaps more. Her heroic consort is also gone for an extended period of time. We have much work to do in their absence, my friends."

"But why're ya setting up this wretched statue of them?" Gorkenheim spat, disgruntled and filthy as always. "It's stupid if ya ask me. If I didn't know better I'd think you were a spy for 'em come to expose us."

Durtain's eyes narrowed. For a moment they seemed to flash blood red, causing the slave to gulp but stand his ground. The red faded so quickly Gorkenheim wondered if he had seen it at all.

"Tell me, you idiotic ape, how do the people feel about the princess and her hero?" Durtain asked.

"Well," Gorkenheim sputtered, "they're in love with 'em. Best thing since mead."

Durtain nodded slowly. "Indeed. Each man, woman, and child feels as if they know General Link and Princess Zelda personally, as if they are the people's best friends. The people's champions. Now, how do we turn an adoring people against their beloved heroes?" No one answered. Durtain's grin grew. He gestured as he talked, pacing excitedly. "Elevate said heroes. Make them glorious, above the normal Hylian, somehow superhuman and legendary. Make them unapproachable, and unreachable. When they become so elevated in the hearts of the populace as to be unreachable, the people will start to objectify them. When they are viewed as more objects and symbols, unreachable and glorious, than friends and champions, the people will become jealous, resentful. Then it becomes a simple matter of instigating dissenting rumors, and fanning the civil unrest I already sense beneath the surface." The Count turned back around, chuckling a low laugh.

The Royal Phoenix had already been torn down and cleared away. A few mages and workman were heaving and working to hoist the new statue onto the dais as quietly as they could. This statue towered a good ten feet high. It depicted the Hero of Light, as the common populace was calling him, and the Princess together. He held the legendary Master Sword in his left hand, his right arm wrapped around Princess Zelda's waist as if she were his. Her left hand rested on his shoulder, as if supporting and commissioning him, and in her right hand she wielded the Blade of the Royal Family. His face was beast-like in its ferocity, and hers had a harsh, sharp beauty. The Goddess Farore laughed above the Hero's shoulder, and the Goddess Nayru solemnly touched the Princess's, while Din danced between them. Once it was in place it would be enchanted to have light from below shine up on them. The shadows these lights cast on the Hero and Princess's faces deepened the impression of anger and ferocity exuded by both.

"The unrest has already started…tonight we ignite the fires," Count Durtain said, clutching the book tighter. "Tonight we begin to separate the people from the Princess and her Hero. Tonight we birth the divide, and start a war."

"War? But I thought you said—"

"War, Captain, do you have a problem with that?" Durtain looked over his shoulder at the man, his eyes narrowed.

"N-n-no sir. I don't."

Durtain nodded and continued to watch the set up. Once the work was done the waters sprang back to life, the enchanted lights shining upwards and casting their strategic shadows. A small golden placard on the new statue read, "To these beloved of the Goddesses who rescued the world from evil with none but their hands and their blood. May they ever be glorified above all others, for they are worthy of praise."

Satisfied with his handiwork, Durtain strode toward his mansion, his five lackeys hurrying close behind. "I hope you boys packed your things like I requested," he said, "for we have an important journey ahead of us. With only the five of us we should move quicker than the Hero at least."

"Where are we going, sir?" the leader of the three captains asked, furrowing his brow.

"I know the whereabouts of some…reinforcements. For our war, when it arises. The peasants will not be army enough. Southeast, in the mountains between Faron and Kakariko. If we make good time we should reach them in three days. Hylians never traverse these mountains…it is largely uncharted territory inhabited by monsters and beasts." He grinned a predatory grin. "Just the brothers we need."

The others began to question and protest, but Durtain merely laughed and ignored them as his eyes flashed red and black smoke curled around his fingers.

**Author's Note**:

I know it's a relatively short chapter, but it's actually longer than the last one. I think. Or around the same length at least. It just felt right to end it here. You guys don't know why because you don't know what's coming next...MWAHAHAHA! I DO think this one is quite a bit more…meaty than they have been in a while. I have my favorite parts, but what do you guys think?

Stay glued here, because the next chapters are really going to…let's say, speed up a little? Get exciting perhaps? Hehe, you'll have to wait and see. And now that I'm back in school and all of my INSANE education department stuff is done (don't EVEN get me started on how NUTS it has been! AAA!) the chapters should come out quicker than in the summer, as those of you who have been with me for a long time know. Haha, I appreciate you all's patience! YOU ARE THE BEST READERS EVER! *huggleglomp*

I have to give props to a few of my biggest influences when it comes to fanfic writing, specifically this chapter: Rose Zemlya's "The Legend of Zelda: The Return" is fantastic. You need to read it! Also, "Ocarina of Time II: Parallel Symphonies" by Firebird-X, which you should ALSO read. Anything written by Lyxie is fantastic. I'm an avid Lyxie fan and have read many of her stories multiple times. They're that good.

Anyway, that's it for this chapter! Please review and all of that, it's important to me! Your thoughts are my favorite part. I love it when you all adopt that story and the character and get so excited about them. I always keep those in a special folder on my e-mail to read when I don't feel like writing, or need inspiration to get past a block. I may not always reply, such as to Personal Messages, and I am sorry for that. But I DO cherish those messages and such! So feel free to drop me a note or anything.

By the way, I am NO LONGER a knife salesman. LOL! That lasted about a month. Ah well, I have discount knives. Haha! (and yes, it WAS Cutco!)

—_The Wolfess_


	19. Nightmares and Warfare

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Eighteen: Nightmares and Warfare**

Sand slammed into the faces of the soldiers like an unending swarm of hungry locusts, stinging whatever flesh remained exposed in a frenzy of delighted consumption. Heat rippled through the sky, tangible as the water they longed for, tantalizing as the escape they could not find. General Link rode at the front of the army and did not wilt or pant. He seemed inexhaustible, incorrigible, and invincible to the men following him. They whispered about him with admiration, and more than a little fear. "We don't have the stamina of the Hero of Light," they grumbled to each other. "He needs to stop for us. This is too hard."

They had blasted the Evil Realm out of the blocked pass. Link had even bribed the cannon master in Lake Hylia to put lit bombs in his cannon and fire them at the pass. The speed of impact added to the sheer power of the bombs themselves blasted the mountain open in no time. It was actually quite fun to blow things up all day, and that night was spent comfortably laughing, eating, and sharing stories around the campfires late into the night. Moral was high, and hopes soaring. General Link himself went around to each campfire that night and spent time talking and sharing stories with each group of soldiers. Now they had been walking in this hot, goddess-damned desert for a couple days with nothing but sand as far as the eye could search, and the men were tired.

"Sir?" Captain Volc said, pulling his steed alongside Epona. His large nose was sunburned, and the high cheekbones of his face covered in a sheen of sweat. "Sir, the men can't go on any longer. They need to stop and rest."

Link frowned and glanced at Volc from the corner of his eye. His heavy feral gaze swept over the desert as a red sunset bathed the sand orange. "They do, do they?" He murmured, eyes narrowing. Volc cleared his throat and nervously straightened his gauntlets. The wolf-man tore his stare away from the desert ahead long enough to pin his captain like a fly to a table. "You must not be able to hear the rumbling in the sands, Captain. Desert leeches attack in force when you stand still, did you know that?"

"Uh, I-I did not, sir," the bird-like captain said. "Surely we could fight them easily enough, though?"

Link shook his head, reaching behind to rub the green handle of his sword. "We could, sure…if the Bulbins had no knowledge of our presence. The rumbling in the sands is as much from the feet of our foes as from the worms."

Volc's eyes widened, his jaw dropping. "What? How do you know this? Shouldn't we tell the men?"

"I saw one of their scouts on a mountain top. They know me, and I have the loyalty of their King," he shrugged. "I let him go because they may not attack us. However, they may attack the army and just not raise a blade against me. I don't know." He motioned toward the horizon, eyes peering at it as if he could see what wasn't there. "Their encampment is a few miles over that hill, down in a ravine that has only one slope in or out. We will have to take that slope because of our wagons and horses, and they know this. I doubt they will attack us until we are near it. Bulbin's aren't stupid, despite their appearance."

"How do you…" Volc stopped himself and shoot his head, smiling ruefully. "You amaze me, General. I don't know how you figure these things out."

Link smiled at his captain, heavy blue gaze softening. "Most of it is experience. I've been over every inch of this land. I'll teach you; anyone can learn. It's just a matter of being perceptive, and knowing what to look for. Anyway, I plan to camp us at a large rock formation near here with a cave inside. We'll have to take shifts to protect the army on the ground from leeches, but I think the bulk of us will be able to get up on the rocks where it's safe. We'll gather the captains to talk about tomorrow's battle plan on the very top, and descend into the first cavern. I don't think the first cavern had monsters inside…" he squinted his eyes, trying to remember the layout of the Cave of Ordeals, and then shrugged. "We'll figure it out." They rode in silence for a while, Link keeping an eye on the horizon, Volc thinking about Link. "Oh, I almost forgot," Link said, turning to his captain. "Tell the other captains for me, and have them tell their troops. The men need to be prepared, I guess."

Volc agreed, chuckling under his breath and dropped back on his horse to do as he was asked. Brilliant though their leader was, sometimes the Ordonian man seemed to be in a world of his own, traveling distant lands in his head. He remembered to care for his army, sure, but Volc noticed that he had a tendency to take responsibility into his own hands. He could count on one hand the number of times General Link had consulted the other captains when laying plans on this campaign. The captains were beginning to talk, but Volc had learned his lesson when it came to talking negatively about the General. He would regret telling Gorkenheim about Her Highness's plans for the rest of his days. No, Captain Volc would keep his mouth shut and take the General's own advice: "when confronted with a strange or confusing situation, be perceptive. Observe every detail of the puzzle and what surrounds it, then look at the separate elements as a whole, and there will be your solution."

After passing around the information Link had given him, Volc returned to the General's side. Just as the sky began to turn the blue-black of night, the large rock formation Link had spoken about rose out of the characterless sand before them, and they sped up to reach it. The men hurried about setting up camp, erecting ladders to get from one shelf of the rocks to another, and posting scouts to guard the peripheries against the white sand leeches. By the time activity in the camp began to settle down, the temperature had dropped quite a bit and campfires started popping up all over the sand.

Link and Volc watched from the topmost platform, near the cave mouth, while they waited for the other captains to come up. Volc sat cross-legged and pulled his cloak tighter, green eyes dancing with silent laughter as his General threw himself on sand with arms and legs splayed out.

"AAH!" Link exhaled, grinning. "I love the feeling of hot sand on your skin when its starts getting cold."

Now Volc did laugh out loud. "Forgive me, General, but sometimes you are such a child!"

Link chuckled a bit himself. "Well, I am still a child, technically. You're not that much older than me, are you?"

"Almost thirty. I'm an old fart."

Link propped up on his elbows. "Ha ha! Really? So, do you have a family? Children, wife, dogs, that sort of thing?"

Volc puzzled at this friendly child-like mood, filing away in his mental box of puzzle pieces, and nodded. "A wife. Her name is Kaylea. No children yet, but we're trying."

Link grinned at him and wiggled his eyebrows. "Trying, huh?"

"Oh, shut up!" Volc muttered, shoving Link's shoulder.

Link laughed and held his hands up. "I give! Don't kill me, oh great Captain Volc!" Volc just hung his head, ginger hair falling over his face just enough to disguise the blush creeping into his cheeks. Link sat up fully, pulling a light cloak around his shoulders. "Okay, okay. Seriously, though, what's she like? How did you meet?"

Volc looked up, blinked, then rummaged through a larger pocket and held out a pictograph to him. "She's sweet. You can't see it here because the pictograph is black and white, but she has red hair like fire and brown eyes. Kaylea, she's my rock. The life of a soldier can be dangerous and involve a lot of traveling, so she keeps up the house and our social connections. She's actually in Princess Zelda's court and has talked to her Highness quite a bit. I guess that's not exciting to you, but well…it's important to her, so it's important to me." He looked back toward Hyrule, a distant look in his eyes. "She paints wonderfully, and swims when we can make it to the lake. Haven't gone since before the war though…I've been so busy."

Link also looked toward Hyrule as Volc talked, a soft smile on his face. "Talking with the Princess is exciting to me too, though perhaps I do it more than others. She's the most interesting woman I've ever met." More puzzle pieces, Volc thought, relaxing as the general absently sifted sand through one of his hands. "I spend so much time with her these days I didn't realize it until we left. I miss her." Link shook his head, as if shaking away whatever he was thinking, and looked at Volc again. "Anyway, if you go to Court then you must be a noble?"

The Captain nodded. "Yes. I'm a Marquis actually. Marquis and Marchioness of Duponte. We're not as old as say the Rashaks, or your family as it were, but old enough."

Link's brow furrowed, that familiar crease between his eyebrows appearing. "Strange," he muttered.

"What's strange about it?" Volc asked, tilting his head.

"Well," Link explained, "all the nobles I've met formally seemed very shallow and selfish, completely out of touch with the rest of the kingdom, not to mention arrogant beyond measure. The Count of Rashak, for example, since you mentioned him. I met him once. He sat across from me at the feast at Zelda's ball, and the man treated me like filth until Zelda told him my heritage. Then he just didn't talk to me the rest of the night. But you don't have any of these qualities. You're surprisingly normal."

Volc chuckled and shook his head. "Please don't base your judgment of the noble class on the party mongers, and least of all on Count Durtain. His family has always been arrogant, and although he's more well-intentioned than his father and grandfather, Durtain still has a few screws loose. He may not get over you, honestly, because you and your family were all raised as peasants, lived without titles, the whole bit. He'll live, though."

"Screws loose, eh?" Link said. "Maybe I should send the man a jeweled rapier and a bouquet of roses to make up? I'll attach a note saying 'please forgive me for being a filthy peasant! I promise to behave like a noble from now on. Make up?' What do you think?" They were laughing loudly before Link finished getting the statement out.

"Ha ha, well I'm not sure that'll work, but you try it and let me know how it goes!" Volc laughed, looking at his General as if for the first time. "No, many of us actually love the Crown, Hyrule, and its people genuinely! Some of my best friends are without title or rank. And thanks for the compliment, by the way. I try to live up to that standard. It was the Princess who lived a down-to-earth lifestyle and inspired my wife, who then was my inspiration. It's like Her Highness knows the name of every baby in the Kingdom, and sends every mother a rose. Perhaps not literally, but you know. She cares about her people deeply. Kaylea and I aspire to that."

Link smiled. "Hm…I'm sure she would be grateful to hear that. I know that I am. It's good to know you better, Volc. When we get back to Castle Town we should—" A loud clanking on the ladder alerted the arrival of the other captains. "Ah! They're here." Link jumped up, and at the sight of the first shiny helmet he was suddenly The General again, as if he had donned a mask.

_Puzzle pieces_, Volc thought again, as General Link greeted each of the army captains and ushered them all down to the cave to talk strategy. Perhaps this new friendship would be one of the most fruitful things the Marquis of Duponte ever cultivated. One portion of the puzzle that was Duke Link of Verdelupo the green-eyed captain was sure of: anything involving the Duke was bound to be an epic adventure.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

_She was running through the trees again dressed in her Sheikah uniform. The bangs of her hair peeping out from under her wraps whipped in her red eyes. Something was behind her, she knew it. It was always there…chasing, desiring, hungry. Her lungs burned, each breath like knives down her throat, her thighs cold and tingling painfully under her Sheikah body suit. "I can't run much longer" she thought, mind fighting not to fill with panic. She had to keep running. She could never stop. The moment she stopped it would be there again. _

_A new idea popped into her head. Zelda jumped up mid-stride and grabbed a tree branch, swinging up into it and sinking back into the shadows. Perhaps the good shadows would protect her from the evil ones. Perhaps it would pass her by, and she would be free…_

_Laughing. Laughing. That goddess-damned laughing again. The princess breathed hard, panic covering her mind like a white sheet as the shadows around her began to move in unnatural ways. She lurched forward, meaning to jump out of the tree, but the shadows grabbed her, coiling around her arms and legs like snakes. It drew her back into them, shifting, taunting, breathing evil fumes down the back of her neck. Her hair stood on end. _

"_I will have you…" the shadows whispered. "I know what you really are, Princess of Destiny. I will break you…I will have you…" _

_There was nothing but the blackness. It was all she could see. The shadows coiling around her arms seemed to solidify, like water congealing to ice. They were hands holding her too tightly. She could feel bruises forming on her skin. The laughter, the breathing, the shadows coiling up her neck, pressing like fingers at her mouth, her nose, her eyes. "Scream…" the voice hissed. "Scream, Princess…this is only the beginning. I know what you really are…weak…I will have you…you, and that pathetic concubine you call a hero…" _

_Zelda could stop herself no longer. Her mouth opened, a scream wrenching forth from her lips that echoed through the whole world like a living thing and filled it with pain, terror. The shadows plunged into her body again, like so many nights before…_

_The last thing she saw was a pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness._

Screaming still, the princess thrashed in her bed and jerked to the right, tumbling unceremoniously onto the floor. "Ow!" she said, eyes shooting open, jerked out of her nightmare. A pair of red eyes, seeming to glow dimly in the dark, looked down at her. She screamed, hands covering her mouth and she pushed the stone floor with her bare feet to scramble away.

"Zelda! Zel, calm down, it's me!" the red eyes were filled with concern, and the blue fires suddenly flared brighter. Ikal kneeled in front of Zelda. "It's me, Zel, Ikal. It's okay, you're safe."

Panting, her heart beating out of her chest, Zelda blinked at the Sheikah. Her mind swirled, sorting out vision from reality. "A dream…" she muttered. "nothing but a dream." Zelda sighed, closed her eyes, and leaned her head on the wall her back was pressed up again. "They're getting worse," she groaned, rubbing her temples.

"I'm sorry," Ikal murmured, standing up again and holding her hand out to the princess. "Unfortunately, you need to pull yourself together quickly and get dressed. Letaln will be here soon to take you to Teela, and then on to the Shadow Temple. We have a lot to do."

"Oh, that's right." The events of the last twenty-four hours rushed back to her, her gaze floating over the Princess of Destiny's Sheikah uniform lying in a nearby chair. "Great," She murmured, accepting Ikal's proffered hand and rising to her feet. "This is perfect. I'm dressing in a Sheikah outfit and going into an evil temple where the shadows have turned to darkness. This is starting to look familiar, Ikal."

Ikal turned her back as the princess walked over to the uniform and started dressing. "Well, you won't be in a forest there," she said, "and Link won't be with you. So it's not exactly the same. You'll have me, anyway, and I'll protect you like I always have."

There was silence in the room as Zelda struggled into the unfamiliar uniform. "I'm pretty proficient with weapons too, Ikal. I can take care of myself."

"Sure, when you're dueling me or one of your guards. It's different in the real world, Zel."

Zelda thought about bringing up her horseback battle with Ganondorf alongside the hero, but decided against it. For all that the princess was having difficulty getting into the uniform, somewhere in the back of her mind it was familiar. A part of her, a very distant part, remembered where to bind the leather plates, how the suit fit over the mail underneath, how to wrap the cloth strips around her chest, thighs, and fingers. She put the cloth sash over the top, tattered garment hanging in the front and back, and bound it to the uniform, then held the head wrappings in her hands and turned to Ikal. "Could you assist me with my hair, Ika?" the princess asked.

Ikal grabbed the hair wraps and a barb from the chair, sitting the princess down on the bed and sliding behind her. She started undoing the work of the maids from the morning before. "This would be easier if you hadn't slept with it up," she said, tugging the last loop out and brushing Zelda's auburn locks with her fingers.

"I was tired. I didn't even undress." Zelda replied.

"Heh, I know. Just giving you a hard time." She poked the princess in ribs. "You need to smile more." Zelda didn't respond, so Ikal set about rebraiding the hair in a very tight, thick braid. Zelda's scalp soon began to hurt from the tugging. When the braid was done, wrapped and tied, with the bard attached to the end, Ikal took the head cloths and wrapped them around the top of Zelda's head like a turban. "Okay, stand up and face me," she said. Zelda did so, and Ikal fixed the princess's bangs to hang over her eyes. They were normally pinned back by the tiara and some hair pins, or woven into the two braids that usually hung on the sides of her face.

Ikal stepped back and looked at her friend, smiling. "You're done. You look great. There's only one more detail that I think I can help with." The Sheikah stepped closer to the princess, peering at Zelda's azure gaze. "Sheikah eyes see perfectly fine with a little blue light. We see farther and stronger than Hylians. I can't give you all the benefits of Sheikah sight, but I can enhance your sight a little. Let's see…" she closed Zelda's eyelids and touched them with her fingers lightly, murmuring something in ancient Hylian under her breath. When Zelda's eyes opened again they were red. They didn't have the slight glow that the other Sheikah's had in the dark, but they were still red.

"Everything looks so…bright. And detailed." Zelda said, looking around the room. She smiled at Ikal. "Thank you, friend."

The door was thrown open at the front of the house. Zelda and Ikal looked at each other, then stepped out into the hall. Letaln and his two lackeys were standing in the living room, silver hair reflecting the eerie blue lights. The male leader had a black cloak thrown around his shoulders and draped over one arm, the other hand resting on the hilt of a dagger strapped to his hip.

"Good morning," Zelda said, walking out to meet them with Ikal behind her.

The male bowed, glancing at Ikal as he did so with narrowed eyes. "Your Highness, it is time to depart." The two Sheikah behind him stared at Zelda's attire, but Letaln seemed not to notice. His crimson gaze locked with the princess's, hard around the edges, as if in challenge. Zelda met his gaze with her own, blue fire glittering in the depths of her red irises.

"Very well," she said eventually, then motioned toward the door. "Lead the way, good Sheikah."

He spun on his heal and strode out, black cloak fluttering about him. Zelda and Ikal shared another glance, where Zelda rolled her eyes and then followed her captors out the door. Letaln and Teela had a particular fondness for pomp apparently. This in itself was strange for a Sheikah, as they are a people who specialize in being indiscernible, to the point of seeming nonexistent or imaginary.

The cavern was dark as ever, but with her new eyes it seemed brighter to the princess. She could see all of the houses just fine, as if in a kind of blue daylight. Citizens of the underground Sheikah city who had been nothing but a strange gust of wind the night before were now darkly clothed people. Most of them had silver or blond hair, red eyes glowing at her from everywhere. Little Sheikah children tugged at their mothers' hands and pointed at the princess with excited grins on their faces, and the mothers looked sadly at their children and shook their heads. Lithe Sheikah men looked at her with varying expressions of suspicion and remorse, then did their best to pretend she wasn't walking by them. _Was I this much of a spectacle when I arrived last night?_ she wondered.

Rather than going up to Impaz's old house, Letaln took a northern path that wound up toward an opening to what Zelda could only assume was another cave. The cave was shallow and led to an old wooden ladder. The three male Sheikah's swept up the ladder as lithe as ghosts, Zelda was a little slower, and Ikal followed up behind her just as ghost-like.

It opened up at another cave-like opening, but this one had a wooden fence and a small view of the outside world. Not that this view was very pleasant—the sky was clouded over, and it looked down on nothing but an ancient graveyard. Zelda peered at the largest gravestone and narrowed her eyes, something in her subconscious whispering in remorse, but her reverie was soon cut off by the sharp, abrasive voice of Teela.

"Good morning, your Highness," she said, mock bowing. Her armor shone in the cloudy daylight. "I do so love your outfit, and your eyes. Our _dear_ Ikal has done this I assume." She looked at the red-haired Sheikah standing beside the princess like one would look at a spider they were about to squash. "Her treachery is to be expected. She is an Impure after all."

Ikal's eyes flashed, but a subtle touch from Zelda stilled her. "I am as much the Princess of Destiny now as I was a thousand years ago. My spirit never dies. The uniform belongs to me, and always has. Ikal merely returned it to its rightful owner."

Teela snorted, drawing some needles out of her clothing and flipping them through her fingers. "You were trained in that lifestyle," she said. "but in this one you were not. It is a disgrace to wear the Sheikah Uniform without the appropriate training, you bumbling woman."

Princess Zelda merely inclined her head, maintaining all the airs of a royal's serenity and grace. "I am beginning to think, Teela of the Sheikah, that you and your people want to cut ties with the royal family. I am required to warn you of the foolishness of this course of actions. It will result in the downfall of your race, I can promise you with all certainty."

Teela laughed, tossing a few needles in the air and catching them again. "I highly doubt that, princess, but if you would like to declare war right now—"

"Teela, you go too far," the baritone voice of Letaln spoke up. "Do not disrespect the crown. This is not our way."

Teela glared at him, then sighed and waved her hand around. "Very well, have it your way dear. If that is what you say." She turned her attention back to the princess and bowed. "My apologies," she said, although her voice dripped with insincerity. Zelda said nothing, the weight of her threat still hanging in the air.

"Well, let's get on with it then," Ikal said.

The armored Sheikah woman motioned behind her. "There is the entrance. See you in a few days…if you're still in one piece that is. It would be terrible if the last Monarch in the bloodline of Hyrule were to die in a cave and leave her country vulnerable."

"I'm sure you would mourn terribly," Zelda remarked. She strode past them toward the Shadow Temple entrance, Ikal close beside her. As she started down the stairs, she could hear Teela call after her.

"Remember, dear Princess: nothing in the Temple of Shadows is what it seems." She laughed again. "Nothing."

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

_He was a wolf running through the forest. It felt so natural there—a beast in his natural environment. At least, that's how part of him felt. But the other part of him felt trapped, chained in this canine body he could not be free of. He was bound in it. There was no escape. The chain clinking on his foreleg might as well have been attached to one of those trees, for his human self was wasting away in a canine body day after day._

_Link could hear screaming in the depths of the forest. Ears perking at the sound, he took off full speed toward it, darting around trees and over large roots effortlessly. It was natural for a wolf to run through the forest. But there was something unnatural about this forest, the human inside the wolf thought. The shadows seemed to deepen, sunlight dimming until there was nothing but darkness and shadows. The shadows…_

_The screaming suddenly stopped. He had been near to it, so he kept walking forward to where it had been. A lump in the shape of a woman lay face down on the ground under a large tree. Something about her strange outfit was familiar…and her auburn hair… He padded over to her, nose sniffing at the body. It was lifeless, he could tell immediately. The stench of death was already beginning to rise from the flesh. Ignoring the urge to retch, Link used his head to roll her onto her back so that he could see her face. _

_If he could scream, he would have. Whining, tucking his tail between his legs, Link backed up. No, no, no, no, no he thought. The very shadows around him laughed. "You couldn't save her. You're useless by yourself like this, aren't you?" it hissed in his ears. He could see the shadows moving, slithering over her possessively, mocking him. His helplessness. "She's mine now…you will never be able to save her…it happened because of you, you know. It's your fault she's mine. Run away, wolf…run away from her…run…" The whole of his furry body shaking, he turned tail and ran, a mournful howl ripping from his throat._

General Link bolted straight up, snarling like a wild thing with his sword already in his hands. He blinked at the green-handled blade for a moment, furrowing his brow, then gasped and dropped it on the sand. He felt his torso and his head—all human. All Hylian. _What about—_he felt the pouch on his belt. The Wolf Stone pulsed quietly in its pouch, calling to him with its dark magic. Link exhaled a sigh of relief and looked about him. It was still night, and his entire army was asleep. At least they were getting some good rest, he thought, stretching and standing up. They were going to need it for the day they had ahead of them.

Link sat on the edge of the rock precipice, dangling his feet and watching the eastern horizon. The sun was starting to rise over Hyrule, and the people would be waking up to go about their daily lives in peace, not fearing Bulbins or Bokoblins at their doors. Zelda would be rising soon, if she wasn't already awake. _She works too hard,_ Link thought with a smile. It faded to a frown as the hero rubbed his chest and remembered the dream. Nightmare. The sight of Zelda's corpse on the ground and his own feeling of failure and helplessness—it made his heart hurt. But it was just a disturbing dream, he reminded himself. Nothing but a dream. The princess was safe in her castle, nowhere near evil talking shadows or forests. What he didn't understand was why his instincts were telling him otherwise.

"Get your head into the battle, Link," he murmured to himself, shaking his arms out and rolling his head on his shoulders. "She's fine. She's got better guards than me, and she's quite capable of taking care of herself. She's fine."

"I'm sure she is," a voice said. Link turned to see a smiling Captain Volc standing behind him in nothing but the cloth parts of his uniform and a warm cloak. "Trouble sleeping, General?"

"Yes," Link admitted as Volc sat down next to him. "I have this feeling. Like's something about to happen, or has already started, and it's not good."

"The campaign?" the ginger-haired man asked. Link shook his head.

"No, it's something else. Something in Hyrule…my dreams are troubled by it." He sighed, blue eyes distant as he looked at the glow on the horizon, towards the Castle.

Volc patted the hero's back. "If it's Zelda you're worried about, don't worry. Hyrule loves her as much as they love you, and they'll protect her."

Link nodded, unconvinced. "There's nothing I can do about it now," he sighed. "All we can do is what we're doing now, here, and do it well. So, head in the battle." Link stood, Volc following, and Link thumped the older man's back. "Thank you, captain. You're a good man."

"Glad to help a friend," Volc said. "It's dawn pretty much. Want me to rouse the camp, sir?'

"Yes, that will be great. We'll move out in an hour and a half." They shared a salute, and set about waking up, feeding, and moving out an army. It was no small task, but they were used to it by now. An hour and a half later the sleepy soldiers were in their ranks and getting briefed by their captains on everything that had been decided on in the strategy meeting the night before. Some questions and specific details got smoothed out, and the Hyrulian Army moved out, officially starting Day Five of the Bulbin Campaign.

Link, dressed in his Golden General's Armor again, and Volc rode at the front of the army. The green-eyed captain still looked rather sleepy eyed, his hair sticking up all over the place and his shoulders drooping. Link, however, was bright eyed and awake, his armor reflecting the morning light. Figuring they had at least an hour of travel time before they needed to be alert for signs of the Bulbins, he reached into one of Epona's saddlebags and brought out his sketch journal.

The hero hadn't done much in it since he started with the army, but now he opened it up to a blank page and started sketching important images from his nightmare. Zelda would understand what it meant better than he did, and having the images sketched would help him explain it to her, not to mention it would help him stop thinking about it.

After a couple hours of quiet traveling, the men had finally shaken the rest of their sluggishness off. They talked and compared weapons, shared stories about Hyrule and the people they had waiting at home for them. Some had families, some sweethearts, and some children. Some of the younger men talked about their brothers or friends, and how they would earn honors on this campaign and make something out of themselves before returning home. General Link smiled at their banter, but trained his eyes on the desert ahead of them and focused on the battle to come.

A rider came toward him from deeper in the desert. It was one of the scouts he sent ahead, but his clothes were tattered and his mount looked worse for wear. "Sir!" He saluted as he reached the general. Link saluted back.

"Cormack, what happened?" he asked. "You look terrible."

"The Bulbins attacked, sir. They're an hour ahead of us. I was able to escape, but there were hordes of them and the rest of the scouts have been taken captive."

Link frowned. "Of course…they knew we were coming and wanted to catch us by surprise." He reached out and clapped the scout on the back. "Good work escaping, soldier. Thanks to you we will not be taken by surprise. Your valor will be rewarded when we get back to Hyrule."

Cormack bowed his head, the tips of his pointed ears turning red. "Thank you, Sir."

Link nodded. "Go see the medics, soldier."

Volc and Link shared a look, and Volc rode back to inform the rest of the army without a word. Immediately conversation hushed, and by the time Volc returned to the front with Link everyone was ready and secure for battle. Tension, nerves, and excitement buzzed in the air.

At first sight of the Bulbin lines over the horizon, Hyrule's army didn't shake or murmur. They kept a cool head and adjusted their grip on their weapons. Link swelled with pride—a couple months ago they would have shaken and ran away or screamed. They had come so far. A few yards later, Link and Volc had a clear view of the Bulbin army. They were lined up in large numbers behind the pass into the gorge, but also in front of it. At the front of the whole army King Bulbin rode on his blue boar with a cocky grin on his bulbous green face.

General Link held up his hands to halt the army. He turned to them, smiling. "Whatever happens today," he shouted so all could hear, "know that I am proud of you. You are warriors now, and no longer shake at danger. You will face this battle today and fight it well! You will be strong, and Hyrule will be victorious!" He raised his fist in the air and shook it. "For glorious Hyrule, and for Princess Zelda!" They all yelled and shook their weapons in the air. Link pointed at King Bulbin and motioned him forward. The Bulbin King nodded, riding forward, and Link urged Epona forward as well. Both armies hushed. Volc watched his leader like a hawk, but stayed still until Link ordered otherwise.

King Bulbin and General Link stopped in the middle of the field, glaring at each other. The tension hung there for a minute or two, then Link spoke first.

"You meet us with an army. What is the meaning of this?"

King Bulbin snorted, his beady eyes scrunching at the little human. "You are stronger than me. We will not hurt you. But they are weak. It is our way."

Link shook his head. "No, King Bulbin, when you said you would follow me, you said you would follow Hyrule. I _am_ Hyrule. They _are_ Hyrule."

King Bulbin crossed his arms over his chest. "No. Hyrule has not proven itself strong."

"Fine," Link said, crossing his arms over his chest as well. "If we defeat you today, you declare allegiance to Hyrule."

"This is suitable. If we win, then we will plunder Hyrule to our heart's desire." He stuck out his hand, and Link shook it. They released, nodded to each other, and returned to their armies.

When Link and Epona returned, Volc was blinking at him with a shocked expression on his face. "H-h-he spoke," the captain muttered. "And you had a civil exchange between Generals. Like the rules of war declare. I…I can't believe I just saw that…"

Link laughed. "I told you they were more civilized than we thought," he said, giving a signal to a large wagon at the back of the army that was separated a good distance from them. "Don't be so quick to judge a beast." The driver saw the signal and snapped the reigns, hurrying around the bulk of the army and up to the front. Noses started wrinkling as it passed, gagging sounds coming from some of the weaker-stomached soldiers. It buzzed with flies. A stench like rot and decomposed flesh wafted off of the wagon, almost unbearable in the desert heat. As it neared, only General Link remained impassive. He dismounted Epona as it reached the front of the army and stopped, for not even his horse would go near it, and walked over to it.

"BULBINS!" He shouted at them, "WE COME BEARING GIFTS FOR YOU!" Men at the front of the army, and some of the ones form the back with stronger stomachs, came up to the wagon and circled it, sticking their swords, spears, axes, and even hands into it. Link reached in, wrinkled his nose briefly, and pulled out a large, rotting, mostly decomposed Bulbin head. "WE HAVE COME BEARING YOUR BROTHERS HOME—OR AT LEAST WHAT IS LEFT OF THEM!" The Bulbins screamed, their strange beastly howls rippling over the desert between them. King Bulbin looked outraged. The look on Link's face as he hurtled the head into the Bulbin lines could only be described in inhuman.

All at once, the soldiers in the Hyrulian Army started hurtling the rotting body parts at their foes. They hadn't wanted to do this—it was gross, inhumane, and wrong on many levels. General Link, however, insisted that it would serve as a show of strength to a beastly race, and so they obeyed his orders. Now, however, excited by the reaction of their foes, many others started coming up and grabbing corpse parts from the wagon. One flag bearer even stuck his flag pole inside, impaled a torso with the head still attached on the pointed tip (which was created for such things), and the banner of Hyrule rippled in the desert wind under the Bulbin corpse. With a mighty yell, the flag bearer jerked the flag pole in such a way that the corpse was thrown from it and landed with a sickly thump in the middle of the battlefield between the two armies, sending up a cloud of dust and sand.

At a signal from their General, the Hyrulian Army stilled and returned to their ranks. The Bulbins howled with outrage and what appeared to be grief. A glittering on King Bulbin's cheeks could almost be mistaken for tears if they didn't look like mud on his puke-colored green skin. He warbled a loud, monstrous cry, the fat on his gullet trembling with the volume of his voice, and all of the gathered Bulbins charged forward. Link and Volc retreated behind the first couple lines of spearmen. The men lowered their spears just as the Bulbins reached them, and the momentum of the running Bulbin foot soldiers cause them to impale themselves. The second line, not quite understanding what had happed, ran over the fallen bodies of their brothers and also were impaled.

By the third line they had gotten it, and slowed down, evading the spears. Hyrulian swordsmen jumped up between their spear-bearing brothers and fended off the beasts.

"ARCHERS!" Link yelled. "FIRE!" A volley of arrows soared through the air over the Hyrulian heads, dropping Bulbins like flies. Two other volleys were released before Link commanded them to fire at will, and charged forward with his swordsmen, spearmen, and ax-bearers. He led the charge, golden armor glinting and flashing as he moved like a rabid animal through the Bulbins forces, tearing them apart with his teeth if he had to. Even the Hyrulians started to avoid him and watched with fear.

There was something so familiar to Link about this…battling in large numbers with an army. The Hero of Time had spent most of his adult life (the second go around) doing just this, hadn't he? The animalistic spirit of the hero within him felt alive. He watched the Bulbin forces falling to his men. Despite the far superior number of Bulbins, the Hyrulians tore through them. Sure, plenty Hylians were falling as well, wounded or dead he didn't know, but all Link could see was that they were winning. Filled with pride and overcome with déjà vu, Link began to sing an ancient battle chant, his tenor voice clear and deep on the desert wind. "We're an army dressed for battle. We're an army dressed for battle—take the land. Take the land!" He killed as he sang. The men nearest to him joined in, knowing the old battle song. "We're an army dressed for battle, take the land!"

It spread through the army until their unified cry shook the desert sands. "We cut off the giant's head, we eat giants for our bread!" The Bulbins themselves started to tremble, but the Hyrulians didn't stop killing, or singing. "We cut off the giant's head, yes we eat giants for our bread!" The battle chant filled the afternoon air like thunder, and Link was at head of it all with a blade covered in blood. "We cut off the giant's head, we eat giants for our bread! WE CUT OFF THE GIANT'S HEAD! WE EAT GIANTS FOR OUR BREAD!"

**Author's Note**:

…to be continued…

I know, terrible suspenseful places to end on both story lines, and you all want to kill me. LOL! Hey, at least this one got done and out quickly. The momentum from writing the last chapter carried over, and I didn't have much else to do at work so here we are. Don't read much into it though, haha! I'm sure that I had more to say about it at one time, but I forget now. It's been sitting around for a while being digested and refined, more than most chapters in fact. Link's kind of an animal isn't he? Yeah…I like him that way. :-P

And the person who called Durtain a "freakin mook" made my day! lol! Along with the ones who said that the ol' Count was their favorite antagonist. You guys are sweet! I like you. ^_^ Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think!

—_The Wolfess_

p.s. _Constructive_ Criticism welcome and encouraged! This means your page and half of telling me how much I suck needs to be balanced out with a page and a half of things I'm doing well, and helpful ways I could improve said list of things I suck at. Otherwise the criticism is neither constructive or helpful—it is merely a long rant that I can do nothing about. Thank you.


	20. Black Apples

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Nineteen: Black Apples**

Geoge Harsiney was a farmer of limited means who owned some acreage on the outskirts of Hyrule Proper. The farm had been in his family since the time of the Thief's War, a reward from the crown for services given to Hyrule in the army. They were proud of it, and worked it with a tender care normally attributed to lovers. Geoge, or simply Geo to his friends, as a man on the downward slope of life had not fought in this last war, but he _had_ sent his sons to join the army and continue their family's proud history of defending Hyrule, and supplying it with much needed vegetables and fruits from his land.

It was an overcast day, and in the cool afternoon breeze before the oncoming of a storm Geo and his wife Letti were working the land alone. Most of the harvest was destroyed during the war, or stolen by rouge monsters living in the mountains around his land after the war. They couldn't afford to keep the help this year. It wasn't like the workers would have been needed anyway. Most of Geo and Letti's potatoes and carrots were still there, thank the Goddesses, and a few sections of the corn could be found, the parts that had bloomed late in season and weren't available for stealing earlier in the year. Most of the wheat had been trampled, but they were able to scrounge enough to make bread through part of the winter at least. Most of the dairy cows were okay, but their milk was sour from either fright or poor eating.

Geo straightened his aging back and wiped his sweating brow with a dirty sleeve. "Find anythin' else in these here peas, Letti?" he called across the field to his wife.

The farm wife's gray hair was pulled back in a tight bun, her hands raw and red from working all day. She straightened and rubbed them together with a frown on her lined face. Her arthritis was getting worse this year. Checking all these trampled and picked-clean pea pods wasn't helping her hands. "No honey," she said. "Not yet. They're all empty, they are."

The farmer shook his head. "Well, let's keep lookin' anyway, and take a break after. My back is yellin' at me somethin' fierce." Letti just nodded, blew on her hands a bit, and went back to the stalk she had been checking. Geo looked around his land and wondered how it had come to this. The princess sent an allotment of rupees to all of the agricultural workers affected by the war, but she had not taken into account the thievery. Perhaps she didn't know it was happening, his wife had suggested. The extra rupees were enough to pay the bills and the taxes, but how would they eat? He could only pray to good Farore, bringer of life, to keep them well, Nayru to help him make wise decisions, and Din for the strength to make it through.

They found a bit more peas, and then put their baskets with the rest of the vegetables and moved toward the house. They were both moving slowly. The older they got, the more they could feel the winter in their joints, and the harder it was to work for long hours.

Letti went to the kitchen to start some supper and soak her hands in warm water. Geo got some wood from the pile and brought it inside for a fire. "Have you heard from Jayce?" he asked, knowing full well she hadn't.

"Not since his letter before they left Hyrule Proper for the desert. I do hope that he is okay," she said, peeling a couple potatoes for a warm soup.

"He's got Harsiney blood, that lad. He'll be fine," Geo murmured to himself. Nonetheless, his eyes drifted to the mantel, where a family pictograph was hung. Letti, himself, and their two boys—Jayce and Harin—smiled in a moment of perpetual happiness and prosperity. Geo's old heart ached. Jayce would, they trusted, come home from the Bulbin Campaign just fine, but Harin never would. The braver of the two boys, Harin had been on the front lines during the initial of the invasion of Hyrule Castle Town, and been struck down. The princess had made a public declaration of her sorrow for all the deaths in her kingdom, but she had not sent any letter of condolences to the Harsiney family. All they received for their son's service to Hyrule was his belongings from his bunk, a letter from the previous general typed by someone else, and a Hyrule flag with the royal family's crest. "Such a shame," he murmured under his breath, striking the spark stones together and catching the wood just right. The fire leapt up and warmth filled the chilled living room, seeing through the rest of the house.

As Geo lowered himself into his favorite chair and reached for his pipe, a knock came from the front door. "I'll get it," he said to Letti, setting his pipe down and easing himself up. The visitor knocked again. "Hold yer horses, fella! I'm slow anymore." He got to the front door and opened it. On the other side stood a scruffy-looking young man with black hair, strange red eyes, and what looked to be a five-day-old beard. "Who are you?" Geo asked, eyeing the traveler and crossing his arms.

The man bowed. "Forgive me for disturbing you, kind sir, but my name is Durtain, the Count of Rashak. My companions and I are returning from a great and difficult trip to the mountains south of here. We have battled many evil foes, and are in need of a warm house to rest in before we make the final journey to Castle Town tomorrow."

Geo rubbed his face, still looking suspicious. From the kitchen at the back of the house Letti called "Who is it, Geo?"

"How many people do you have?" the farmer asked.

"Five men in addition to myself," Durtain answered, "but we are accustomed to sleeping in confined spaces, and are willing to pay for your trouble with rupees and grand stories from our adventures."

"Hm," Geo huffed. He peered at the count for a moment, not liking something about the young man before him, but they needed the rupees this Count could provide. "It's the Count of Rashak, Letti, and some of his friends. They want to use the boys' rooms for the night," he called back to his wife.

"Well, invite them in, dear. A storm's comin'. I'll put some extra potatoes in the soup."

"There's no need for her to do that," Durtain said, nodding his head graciously as Geo let him inside. "We have our own food in the wagon. My companions are bringing it around at the moment."

Geo nodded and motioned toward one of the couches. "Feel free to sit down. The outhouse is on the east side of the house, and the boys' rooms are upstairs. Letti and I's room is downstairs so you'll have the whole upstairs to yourselves." He bustled toward the kitchen to let his wife know their guests wanted to eat their own food.

"Well, I'll at least put some extra hot broth on for them," she said. "Warm their souls it will."

"I think their souls could use some warming," Geo whispered. Letti raised an eyebrow at him, but he just shrugged and kissed her wrinkled cheek.

"Oh, stop that you ol' hound dog," she said, giggling despite herself. Geo just grinned, his green eyes twinkling and slapped her rear. Letti laughed a little louder, swatting at him with her spatula. "The guests!" she hissed at him. Her old husband grumbled and made a show of being hurt by her rejection, then wiped the mirth off his face and went back to the living room. The Count's voice barked orders out front, and there was sounds of a cart being pulled by a couple men. They were strange sounding men, he thought, and there seemed to be more than four. In fact, the sounds they made sounded eerily familiar. The hair on the back of Geo's neck rose, and he walked over to the window. Pulling aside the tiniest corner of the thick curtain, he peered into the front yard.

A burly, hair-covered man set the wooden structure on the ground around the side of the house, his face red with the effort of hauling the weight of the heavily laden cart. Three lighter-weight men with dark eyes rushed over and grabbed some food out of it, then put their respective weapons into it, under a tarp covering the top. Count Durtain supervised and barked orders when he needed to. Geo furrowed his brow and turned away from the window, just missing the rustling foliage on the edge of the forest.

Geo sat down in his chair and picked his pipe back up, lighting it and leaning back into the soft cushions. His whole body hurt. He was getting too old for this.

The front door opened, and the five men followed Count Durtain in the front door, closing the door behind them. Hearing the commotion, Letti came to the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, smoothing her apron over and violet dress and smiling. "How are you boys doin'?" she asked.

Durtain bowed his head in her direction, his companions following suit. "We are well, madam, thank you. I am Count Durtain of Rashak. These men to my left are Dom, Refflan, and Morg, captains of the messengers and border patrols. Dom is Captain Doker's recent replacement, courtesy of the General. The large, hairy man at the end we call Gork. He's just a heavy." Each man bowed when he was introduced. Dom was a swordsman that had been Doker's right-hand man before Link demoted him. He had blond hair and brown eyes, with a mouth that seemed to bear a permanent smirk. He wore a simple brown hunting outfit, complete with warm trousers, clunky boots, and a leather jerkin, with a spot on his belt for a sword and a cloak slung around his shoulders. Refflan and Morg had been around one another so much they tended to act very much alike, even dress alike sometimes. They both wore blue leather jerkins with black cloth underneath and cloaks. The only real difference between them, other than being slightly different in height and facial features, was that Refflan wore his hair long and pulled back in a pony tail, whereas Morg kept his buzzed short. Gorkenheim, who they were referring to as Gork in case anyone recognized the full name of the notorious general, had every inch of his body covered, including wearing long sleeves of a dark color and gauntlets over his hands. His hair and beard had been shaved, but were already growing back at a rapid pace.

Durtain himself was dressed in a dramatic black leather outfit with silver studs, and billowing back sleeves. Dark red lace peeked out the end of the sleeves, draping over the long, tapered fingers of his soft nobleman's hands, and the open neckline of his shirt. His ebony hair was unkempt and shaggy, the shadow of a beard on the hard planes of his unshaven face, and an expensive-looking ornamental rapier hung off his belt. The eyes of the Count were an inky shade of brown with what seemed to be a red ring around the edges of the irises. Noticing this, Geo frowned to himself. Hadn't his eyes been all red when he first arrived? Perhaps the old man's mind was playing tricks on him, or it was a peculiar slant of light.

Letti did her best curtsy, and Geo nodded his head, admiring his wife out of the corner of his eye. She really did him proud all these years. "Nice to meet you men," she said. "Pardon me for a moment, I need to finish up the soup. I know you said you already had food, but I put some extra chicken broth on anyway."

"My deepest gratitude, Madam," said Durtain, inclining his head as the farm wife left the room.

"Well, go ahead and take a seat on the couches, boys," Geo said, speaking around the long pipe bouncing between his lips. "The wife'll bring yer food in a moment." Durtain sat down on the large couch in the room, Dom, Refflan, and Morg following suit, but Gorkenheim chose to stand near the wall behind the couch. His eyes appeared glossed-over and far away. Sparing a curious glance at the burly man, Geo leaned forward a little and looked at each of the men on the couch. "So, you said you had stories for me," he prompted.

Durtain crossed one leg over the other, his black leather boots shining in the firelight, and nodded. "We do indeed. My partners and I set out to venture into the woods just south of here, explore the boundaries for a while, and then into the unexplored mountains in search of sustenance for Hyrule. I'm sure you know that this winter will be hard on Hyrule's people."

Geo nodded, his face grim. "That we do, Count Rashak. My wife and I haven't seen one to rival it in all our years on his land. Tell ya the truth, I doubt we'll make it through if our son doesn't come home with his military pay. Way it looks, with the Bokoblin raids on our fields and all, we'll run out of supplies halfway through the winter."

Durtain nodded his head, face also grim. "Such is the state of much of Hyrule populace. While our Princess gives all of Hyrule's aid to the Zoras and the Gorons, and sends the rest of our able-bodied men on a pointless research mission to those despicable Bulbins in the Gerudo Desert, the people are left without help. Myself and some of the other Nobles are helping in every way that we can, but we have been adversely impacted as well, so our hands are tied."

"Such a sorry thing," Geo muttered, shaking his head. "Hyrule didn't used to forget its people like this."

Durtain rubbed his fingers together absently. "Her majesty is trying, but I fear her attachment to the man who delivered her and ended the war has clouded her judgment. I have the utmost respect and love for the Princess, but this man cares only for advancement I fear. No one besides her highness has actually seen what he did, and since the war ended he mysteriously amassed a large fortune, and Princess Zelda honored him with a Dukedom, land, and made him the General of the Army. They are always seen in one another's company, often acting very familiar with each other. If it were anyone but the Hero, their actions with each other would be considered improper."

Geo didn't care to speak against the Princess in any way, but the worry in his heart and the picture of his sons on the mantle affirmed Count Durtain's words. An uneasy seed worked its way into his mind. At the farmer's silence, Durtain continued. "I love this country," he said. "Hyrule is the mother of us all. Out of care for her children, I went off on a lead I received with my most trusted men—" he motioned toward the others with him, "to search in nearby unexplored territory for resources that Hyrule may benefit from. To give to its people, of course."

"Soup's done, boys, come on in to the kitchen!" Letti shouted from the kitchen. Durtain whisked to his feet and helped Geo out of his chair, then the old farmer led the way into the kitchen. Letti had everything set out around the large kitchen table, some extra chairs brought in from the porch for their guests. They sat down to eat, and geo folded his hands to thank the Goddesses for their food. Prayer done, they ladled out soup into wooden bowls, and dug in.

There was a moment of silence while everyone enjoyed the delicious warm brew, then Geo looked at Count Durtain and asked, "Did you find anything in them there mountains?"

Durtain swallowed a mouthful of warm broth and smiled. "We did," he exclaimed. "The cart is full of samples of what we found. There are exotic fruits still ripe for harvest, fields of strange wild wheat, great beasts that would make for satisfying meat, rare herbs for medicine and cooking, and more. You would think the valley we found these items in was still in the height of harvest, not the later dregs of it that we are experiencing here in Hyrule. The best part is that all of it unowned and wild. If Hyrule took its army _there_, where taking land back from despicable creatures would benefit the people, then we could take it and make that strange valley of wonderful bounty and the mountains that house it a part of Hyrule, thereby expanding the domain of our sweet mother Hyrule, and the just rule of our Princess to the rest of the world."

"Sounds wonderful," Letti said, her eyes wide with the wonder of their tale.

Geo nodded, "sure does. It would be better than goin' to that goddess-forsaken desert. Forgive me, though, Count, but just a moment ago you said that her Highness's rule was not helping Hyrule. Why do you speak well of her now?" It seemed like a neutral-enough question to Geo.

"She is a wise woman, kind and benevolent, who ascended the throne under unfortunate circumstances. The war that befell Hyrule was not her doing. My only qualm with her Majesty is the mysterious man distracting her from her duty. I do not trust him. There is no proof to back up his stories. For all we know, he may have tricked her Highness into believing he did the things he has said. His public appearance and rise to power has been far too quick. I dare to say he might have his eye on the throne itself."

"Well, I don't know the new General," Geo said, "but he hasn't done as much for the people of Hyrule as you are doing, Count. I doubted you when I first saw you, but if what you've told us is true then we owe you one."

Letti nodded and clasped her husband's hand on the table. "That's the truth," she said. "We and the rest of the farmers out here'll need all the help we can get this winter. I only hope her Highness listens to you about the mountain valley."

"I dearly hope as well, my dear," Durtain said. For a split second his brown eyes seemed to look red again, but it faded so quickly Geo assumed it must have been the candlelight. "I fear the people of Hyrule may starve if she does not."

Geo and Letti went to bed shortly after dinner, and rose at three in the morning to return to the harvest. Count Durtain, Dom, Refflan, Morg, and "Gork" rose with them. They disappeared during breakfast to prepare the cart to depart that day, but stuck around to help Geo and Letti harvest. With the five extra hands, they got more work done that morning than the elderly farmers had been able to do in a week. Around ten in morning, they came inside for brunch and the Count declared that they had to be going if they were going to make their stops on their way into Castle Town.

Standing in the front yard in the chill of autumn air, Geo wrapped his arm around Letti, her shoulders wrapped in a thick purple shawl. Gorkenheim and the captains hauled the cart around front, and Durtain shook both of their hands.

"Thank you for your hospitality," he said.

"No, thank you Count," said Geo. "You have helped my wife and I more than we could have ever asked for. Thank you."

Durtain smiled and reached into a pouch on his hip. He held his fist out, and Geo opened his hand underneath. The Count dropped a thousand rupees into his old, gnarled hands, and then motioned to Refflan to hand him something from the cart. Geo's face was stunned already as he looked at the rupees, but it was Letti whose brow furrowed in confusion when item in Durtain's hands.

It appeared to be an apple, but it was pure black, like a hunk of shiny coal. "Take it," Durtain said, grinning at Letti. "What is it?" she asked, turning it over in her hands. "It's so strange."

"I read about it in an ancient scroll," Durtain answered. "There is no other fruit or tree like it in the world. After you eat the fruit, plant the seeds near your house and water it once a day. The tree has an unnatural growth rate—in two or three weeks it will be about as tall as your house. Once it reaches that height, maybe a little higher, it stops growing and its fruit production increases. When you pluck one of the apples, a new one will have taken its place the next day. They never rot, and the best part is that they're delicious."

Geo was paying attention now, and he pulled a pocket knife out and handed it to his wife. "Well, let's have a bite now, then," he said. Letti smiled and carve two small pieces off the fruit. Handing one to her husband, they both put it in their mouths and chewed. The flavor exploded in their mouths. It was juicy, sweet, and spicy all at once. It tasted like childhood, tasted like a warm spring wind, tasted like ecstasy, tasted like the Golden Realm in a fruit. Their eyes widened and they looked at each other, completely absorbed in this wonderful flavor. Unable to contain themselves, they sliced the apple in half and consumed the rest of it, careful to preserve the precious black seeds. Watching, Durtain's eyes shone pure crimson red, and he smiled. "I must go," he said, turning to walk away. Geo and Letti waved at his departing back. As the Count and his companions made their way back to Hyrule Proper, Letti rushed to a spot in the front yard a suitable distance from the house and planted the seeds, saving one or two to give to their nearest neighbors.

!

"Why did ya give 'em a fruit, Durtain?" Gorkenheim asked them they were well away from the house. "I don't understand why we stayed with 'em in the first place."

Durtain, riding atop the only horse in the company, answered without looking behind him to watch the man hauling the cart. "I am a powerful man, and know much about Hyrule and its occupants. What I know and you don't is that couple happens to be one of the oldest families in Hyrule, and has a lot of sway with the much-forgotten outer communities of the country. By winning him over, we have won all of the outskirts to our support. When the farmers are won, the hunters and merchants in the outskirts will be ours as well. Start with the most forgotten people, and work our way inward my friends."

A couple hours later the fruit-bearing company arrived at the nearest town, the small goat-raising community of Ordon. Knowing the history of the Duke of Verdelupo and this village, Gorkenheim was ordered to wait for them out in the field, hidden from view. With the three captains hauling the cart, Durtain made his way on the winding dirt path through the vibrant fall foliage of the Faron Woods to the small goat town. The first clearing they came to was devoid of people, containing one large house that Durtain read to be Link's. Grinning, he swung off of his horse and handed the reins to Dom while he climbed Link's ladder and entered the shepherd's tree house.

"How fortunate that Ordonians are so sheltered that they do not lock or watch their empty houses," he murmured to himself, closing the door behind him. There was just enough sunlight coming in through the windows that Durtain could see just fine. He made his way around the house, observing the typical artifacts of a goat shepherd's life littered around the house. He looked in the loft and found nothing of interest. He searched the basement and found only a mirror and some boxed. He searched Link's bookshelves and found books for entertainment, books of history, books of swordplay, and books on shepherding. Nothing interesting, or so thought the Count of Rashak until he came to the last book on the lowest shelf. It was in fact not a book, but a journal full of drawings. Many were of goats, a pretty young girl, and people he assumed were from the village. Just inside the front cover, the General had scrawled the dates that the journal apparently covered, from just before the war started to a day after the army left on the Bulbin Campaign. Apparently General Link had made a stop at home while they passed through the fields and left the journal here because it was full. Durtain was about to put it back, but happened to flip in the back of the journal and look. On the page he flipped to were drawings of a wolf. Curious, the Count started flipping through this section of the journal. There were many pictures of this same wolf, an evil imp-like monster, and some other monsters and strange people. These progressed, the imp and the monsters being replaced by obsessive drawing of the wolf, covering page after page. Drawings of the Princess started appearing in more frequency, until the last page where there was a single drawing of the Princess and the General in an intimate embrace, with the wolf leaping toward them, fangs exposed. Around these figures, the rest of the page had been shaded completely black.

Durtain's eyes were crimson again and wide. A voice in his mind hissed with approval. The Count snapped the journal shut and tucked it under his arm, his mind racing. _This proves everything,_ he thought, mind darkening. _This man is in league with evil and is trying to seize the throne of Hyrule from her Highness through trickery while Hyrule and Princess Zelda are weak._ Durtain left the house and climbed down the ladder. He thrust the journal into his saddlebag, determined to examine its contents further, and swung up into the saddle. "Let's continue," he said to the captains. "I've found the evidence we need to prove the Duke's guilt. Now, to spread our seeds."

The captains nodded, following Durtain down into the main village. People stopped to look at them with confusion, not recognizing the Count. Durtain smiled to himself. Of course the people of Ordon wouldn't recognize him. After all, Durtain had only spoken to the General once, and been in his presence maybe three times—the trial, the ball, and when the army left for the campaign. Therefore since Link didn't know anything about Durtain's true plans or nature, he wouldn't have told the villagers anything about him, or warned them. _Lucky me,_ he thought. _They'll be easy to impress._

Count Durtain stopped his horse beside a blond woman carrying a baby girl who appeared to be about six to eight months old on her hip. "Excuse me, madam," he said, "but my name is Durtain, the Count of Rashak. I am unfamiliar with this area. Could you tell me which house is the mayor's? I must speak with him."

The woman curtsied, then pointed at a house just across the small bridge. "Mayor Bo lives right there," she said. "Nice to meet you Count."

He inclined his head. "And you. Many thanks, madam." Durtain and the captains crossed the bridge. Dom, Refflan, and Morg set the cart down while Durtain dismounted, then knocked on the door.

Mayor Bo opened the door and Durtain did introductions. Once the mayor had invited them in, Durtain launched into the reason they were there. He said nothing against Link or her Highness, but merely expressed his concern for the people of Hyrule and asked how Ordon was faring. Bo confided that the village was struggling just as much as everyone around them, but that he thought they would make it through the winter. He worried about food, however, because Ordon was a ranching town. They bought most of their food from the farmers in the outskirts, and if the farmers barely had enough for themselves he didn't know what they would do.

That was when Durtain launched into his tale about searching the mountains, and the mystical valley they had found. Bo was a little harder to convince than the farmers had been, but the Count of Rashak was skilled in the art of persuasion and Bo eventually agreed to try the strange fruit. He fell in love with it in the same way that the farmers had, and by the time Durtain and the captains hauled their load back the way they had come, Mayor Bo was already planting the black seeds.

!

Everything was going as planned. The next stop they made was in Kakariko. The bad reputation of the army in this town forced the Count to leave his partners, and the cart, behind. Durtain didn't trust the shaman to be as easily swayed, so he went alone into the Inn with three black fruits wrapped in a cloth under his cloak. The innkeeper was easily swayed to try the fruit, and he immediately ran outside when it was done to plant the seeds as had Bo and the farmers. Durtain took the second black fruit to Malo Mart, convincing the shrewd, child-like owner of the mega-chain to eat. The child freaked out more than all the others had, and planted the black seed in the back of his shop where he could harvest them in private and sell them. Seeing the little shop owner's reaction, the Goron Elder present asked for a fruit. Although he didn't think Gorons could eat such things, he wanted to try it because human food didn't harm Gorons, just did nothing for them. This mysterious fruit, however, affected the Goron Elder just like it had affected the others. He maintained a calmer demeanor while he rolled away to share the rest of the fruit with Darbus and plant the seed on Goron soil, where it would be watered with hot spring water.

Cloak billowing behind him, Durtain walked toward East Hyrule field where his cart of black apples would be waiting for him, a dark smudge moving through the windblown dust of a broken city.

!

In Castle Town, they paused at Rashak Manor to touch up. The next people on Durtain's list were each members of the Nobility of Hyrule. If he was lucky they would be holding court, and he could just show up and begin passing out his apples. If he wasn't lucky, then he would put them in a large basket and take them door to door. The three captains and Gorkenheim were not needed for this particular task, and so when they had put the cart away, he dismissed them. One of his stable boys took the horse to the stables, and Count Durtain went to freshen up.

Tarno met his master while Durtain had a bite to eat and his hair was drying from the bath he had taken. Court was not being held that day because the Princess was apparently missing.

"Missing?" Durtain prompted. "Really?"

"Yes, Sir. Her carriage driver went to pick her up in secret two days ago, at the appointed time, and she was not there. He waited for a whole day before leaving and informing Captain Farel. They sent a message to General Link, and a search party went out that has not returned."

"Perfect," Durtain said. "Princess Zelda disappears while General Link is away. The man the General left in charge is apparently incompetent and unable to protect her, which of course is the General's fault for leaving such a man in charge." He rubbed his chin and looked up in thought. "This could work to our advantage," he murmured. Tarno was dismissed, and Count Durtain readied himself to spread his seeds to the Nobility of Hyrule.

**Author's Note**:

I know it's been a long time. Sorry guys! Life has been the craziest it's been since I first started this story four years ago. Some old stuff I thought I was done with cropping back up again to complicate things—my own personal black apples, so to say. Like the citizens of Hyrule, they make me kind of crazy and I'm not sure what's going to happen now.

But personal junk aside, I figured I should go ahead and give this to you. I feel good about it. Sorry, again, for the long wait, and I appreciate your patience and continued support. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think.

_~The Wolfess_


	21. Temple of Shadows

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty: Temple of Shadows**

In the bowels of the Temple of Shadow there were many things that whispered in the corners. Sure, the Princess of Hyrule had studied it thoroughly in her education at the hands of Forrad and a small army of tutors, but those lessons were not her favorite. To tell the truth, the princess feared the idea of the temple very much. It was, or so she had been taught, originally built to honor Death, and provide a gateway to the underworld for all who passed on. It was thought to have been lost in time many ages ago, but Zelda had known different. Her dreams while studying this place as a younger girl had been plagued by nightmares full of shadows and darkness, nightmares a little more than dreams. As she entered this dreaded place now all of those restless visions returned to her thoughts, and she wondered if it was the idea of the temple that had scared her as a child, or if it were death itself she feared.

Her skin beneath the Sheikah uniform was covered with goose bumps and crawling with fear she would not show. Zelda was a princess, after all, and royalty do not display fear. Fear does not shake the hands of a Queen; it does not wet her eyes, nor turn her feet, nor shake her voice. A proper Queen was the picture of Strength and Wisdom, a pillar in storms for her country to cling to, even when her heart felt like goose down in a breeze. Zelda and Ikal walked slowly at first, and leapt gracefully over a bottomless chasm. Unlike her princess, the Sheikah woman bore the grim resolve of one who had grown up around the evil temple and been inside to experience its horrors. Ikal looked straight ahead. Zelda observed everything. Each wall in the temple was covered with ancient symbols, not Hylian but some foreign language. They were scratchy, as if one or a thousand people had carved them into the stone with their own bloody fingernails. Wind moaned through the corridors, wafting a foul rotten odor, and carrying evermore the groans of the dying and the dead. With her heightened spiritual senses Zelda could hear what no one else in the world could. Voices of countless dead whispered, groaned, yelled, screamed from every chasm, every pit. Relatively near to the entrance as they were, she could hear angry, desperate pleas rising up from the depths of the temple calling for absolution, and shuddered.

"What really took place in this temple?" she breathed, barely daring to whisper lest their all-too-alive presence be felt by the angry dead.

"It is a hard history," Ikal whispered in reply, "full of greed and hatred. Hyrule's greed and hatred, might I clarify, and our regrets. The Shadow Temple is a place of darkness and death now. It used to celebrate the unknown and the peace that lies in death. Impaz once said that there is a ship here that ferries souls to the World of Eternal Rest, but this place was used for foul, evil purposes. It has been full of tricks and ill will ever since—a temple of illusions and darkness in which it becomes easy to forget one's self, and wander forever."

_How cheery_, the princess thought with more than a little bitterness, then chided herself for her fear-born thoughts. They were exiting a long haul that ended in the illusion of a ghastly gray face. The Sheikah were trained from birth to see past illusions, and even to create them. The Princess was also schooled in the art of Truth, for to rule a people required the ability to see truth in rumors and lies. They walked through it without challenge.

"You speak in riddles my friend," Zelda said as they entered a room full of large skulls behind the face illusion. There were torches in the room, as if it had once been lit, but now there was nothing but darkness and the blue fire in Ikal's palm. "Speak plainly now, for we have a challenge ahead of us that I cannot foresee. What was Teela's purpose is sending me here?" They stood in the center of a room with many options. There were doors in every direction around the circle, and straight ahead was a large chasm. On the other side a face was carved into the stone around a doorway, and its tongue extended almost halfway across the chasm. Zelda pointedly avoided facing her body in that direction, hoping they would not need to tread the ghastly tongue. The spirits near them seemed to laugh, a child-like giggling. _Which way to go? Which way, which way? Can you see your way forward in the darkness? Which way?_ Zelda swallowed, licked her lips, and ignored them. "Ikal?"

"Forgive me, princess. I felt…a chill along my spine." The Sheikah shook her head to clear it. "Teela does not what to kill you or lose you, I know that. She knows you are strong, but she doesn't know if you, in your strength, understand your weakness, your darkness, and that of your country. This place…will bring it out. Your darkness. Your fears."

"Great," the princess muttered. "Well, which way do we go?"

Ikal shrugged. "There is no _way_ in the Shadow Temple. Where you least want to go, that is where you must go. It is how the temple was built to function."

Zelda frowned, then squared her shoulders and faced the evil face over the chasm with its long tongue. _Let the darkness consume you. Consumed by greed you'll be, nothing is ever enough to pass on, consume, be consumed…_ She closed her red eyes against the tongue, as if not looking at it would stop the spirits' whispers. The mouth of Death itself was always reaching with a hungry tongue for the souls of the living—but this temple was no longer about merely death. The hungry mouth of Evil never satiated its cravings for more power, more dying, and more darkness. No light could exist as far as darkness was concerned. No life could exist as far as death was concerned. Zelda took a breath. Another breath.

She opened her eyes and looked straight into the Mouth of Death and Darkness. "_You have no influence over me,_" she thought. The stone eyes of the face lit up and burned green. Ikal jumped in surprise. Zelda knew the Spirit of the Temple was listening._ "You cannot keep my spirit, as you keep the spirits of all. It belongs to the Goddesses, and they will do with me as they please. My spirit has never been, and will never be Death's meal. I choose to walk into you, and I will choose to walk out."_ The glowing green in the eyes began to swirl, then a liquid spurted out of the corners and ran bright green down the cheeks of the face. Zelda nodded, set her mouth in a grim line, and took a running leap onto the tongue. Ikal followed right after.

"What did you do?" the Sheikah asked. "I've never heard of it doing that before."

Zelda smiled. "Just…talking with an ancient spirit who cannot take no for answer."

Ikal shook her head. "Who's talking in riddles now?" The princess smiled and patted her friend's shoulder, then moved onward down the stone halls, which seems entirely blue in Ikal's fire. They came to a steep slope that went deep into the mountain. This opened up to room with three different doors, but Zelda continued to the door straight ahead with a confidence betrayed only by her ragged breathing. The spirits whispered louder the more they walked the blue-lit stone halls than at the entrance, and every wall was still covered with those strange bloody runes.

The first set of guillotines, two small ones plopped in the middle of a hallway, made Zelda stop and furrow her brow. There were so many voices she couldn't make out what any one of them was saying except a couple words here and there. _Betrayal…torture…the Eye_. Ikal waited for the princess with a confused look on her face, fingering her needles and her long dagger.

"How can you and you people come into this temple, Ikal?" Zelda asked, partially to distract the nervous Sheikah, and partially to distract herself from the disturbing mutters of the angry spirits.

Ikal and Zelda slid under the guillotines with perfect timing and continued deeper. "We are trained from birth to be one with the shadows," Ikal explained. "It is the Temple of Shadows. It cannot tell the difference between us and its natural inhabitants."

"Natural inhabitants?" Zelda prompted.

"The dead, the spirits of the dead, and the creatures of death."

Zelda shivered a little and rubbed her arms. "That is rather creepy." They rounded a corner, exiting into a cavern just a little smaller than the one the Sheikahs lived in. Thin platforms with large guillotines pounding into the ground were positioned over a large bottomless pit. Various doors were set into far walls, connected by invisible platforms to a main platform on the opposite side of the guillotines from where Zelda and Ikal stood. Blood covered the walkways around the guillotines, but there were no bodies or bones. The roar of voices in this room all seemed to rise up from the pit all around them, angry and demanding in the princess's ears. She tried to ignore them, but the sound pressed on her mind as if it were being squeezed by a pair of large hands. The sound was pain in a pure form, and overcome by it the princess covered her ears with her hands, clenched her eyes shut, and whimpered, but she could not shut them out.

"What's wrong? Zelda, what's happening?" Ikal said, pulling out her dagger but not knowing what seemed to be attacking her princess. Zelda couldn't even hear her past the spirits screaming. Blankness and darkness tunneled her vision to the row of guillotines before her, and the image rippled like water. She saw Sheikah in ancient uniforms similar to her own standing there. Their bodies were translucent to her sight, and every detail of what she saw was pain in her brain. Lining up in front of the guillotine in two lines were more translucent people, but these looked like soldiers, normal citizens, monsters, even a couple Gorons, Zoras, and some of the ancient Gerudo race were in the lines. The ones nearest to her were an old man on her left shoulder, and a young woman crying at her right.

The front-most Sheikah stood with a large book in his hands, scribing something with a quill. Zelda walked closer to hear what he was asking the people at the front.

"_Harnin, you have been accused of conspiring with the enemy. What say you?" _The man speaking was wearing a strange white mask with the Sheikah eye in red on the front, the pupil golden. The Mask of Truth, if she remembered her studies well through the needles in her mind.

The one being addressed started shaking and crying. He was covered in lacerations, his wrists bruised in a way that suggested he had been manacled to something, and he looked downright worse for wear. "_I-I-I-I…I'm sorry! They had m-my—"_ A Sheikah on the other side of the man shoved him down on the guillotine before he could finish his sentence. Zelda flinched and looked away, but saw a third Sheikah shove the body and its head into the abyss with his foot. The man with the book made a mark in it, then continued with the next person. The vision rippled, and the tunnel of darkness that had formed around her sight moved back. Her pain ebbed to a more manageable pulsation.

Zelda was kneeling on the floor right next to the guillotine, Ikal standing next to her looking worried. "Ika, I'm fine," the princess immediately said, struggling to stand. Her legs were a little shaky. "I just—how can you not hear the spirits? They just—there are so many of them here, they just showed me…" Ikal shook her head when Zelda trailed off.

"I cannot hear them, Zelda, but I can imagine what they showed you. This room was used as an execution chamber. No one who was not Sheikah ever came here and left alive."

"But…why?" Zelda asked, shaking her head. "Why would they do that? All those people…there were hundreds."

"And thousands more died before the war was over. Traitors to the crown were not treated well. The Sheikah were enlisted to interrogate, torture, and execute the people on the list given to them by the Royal Family, and…" she stopped, narrowing her eyes and looking around. "Do you hear that?"

Zelda focused, and sure enough there was a strange sound coming from the pit. It was like the scuttling of a million spiders, or the scraping of a rock on another rock. "What in Din's name…?"

The two women moved to the edge of the platforms and peered over. At first they could see nothing but a faint shadow, but then the figures moved higher on the wall. Countless skeletons scrambled up the walls, some with ragged clothing still hanging from their bones. The scuttling noises were the clicking of their fingers as they dug them into the wall and clawed their way up the platform, and the grinding sounds were the drag of their bodies. Many of them, if not most, were headless, but it did not seem to matter to them.

"Oh, Din! RUN!" Ikal shouted, tugging at the princess's arm. They bolted, vaulting and rolling over or under the guillotines with a swift agility only Sheikah could possess. A part of the princess thanked the goddesses for instincts that weren't hers, though her body—not as trained as it had been in that life—protested the unfamiliar movements.

The skeletons were closer now than before. A couple hands grasped the ledge. "DOWN THERE!" Zelda yelled, pointing to a fourth, smaller guillotine on its own platform. Ikal dipped down and round kicked a nearby skeleton, sending it flying back into the abyss, then grunted her understanding. Unfortunately they couldn't get there from the main guillotines, so they rolled under the last gargantuan blade, kicking and punching more of the skeletal hosts as they did. They leapt onto the main platform at the end of the run, where Zelda pivoted to the right and jumped on the moving platform as it lowered. Ikal shot needles at the skeletons nearest and followed soon after the princess, barely missing a skeleton's grab for her legs as she jumped and rolled to a stop by Zelda.

Zelda placed her hand on her friend's back and held her breath. Skeletons leapt after them, but none of them could make it to the moving platform and fell back into the abyss. Heaving a sigh, the princess took the respite to double over, panting a little. "What? Why? How?" she said, unable to figure out which question she wanted to know more.

"They're the skeletons of the people murdered here I would guess. You are living, for one, so they already sensed you here, and that vision must have triggered them to the Royal blood flowing in your veins. So they want to kill you."

Zelda shook her head, then jumped as a skeleton who had a particularly good jump made it into the platform and lunged at her. She leapt back just in time to miss the claws of its boney fingers, and kicked it over the side. "Wonderful. Great," she muttered. "They should not even _be _alive to w_ant_ to kill me!" Her brow furrowed, the back of her mind tickling with a strange idea. Swallowing her fear, she strode to the middle of the platform. "Ikal, guard me. Their wakefulness is unnatural. I think I know what they need. Don't ask questions," she added when the Sheikah opened her mouth, "just keep me safe!"

Standing in the middle of the platform, the princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was there, on the edges of her memories, a tool to be used in situations like this. _"Zelda, my love, remember this song if ever I am not there to protect you."_ It was a male voice. _"This poem: '__The rising sun will eventually set; a newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun... Give peaceful rest to the living dead.' And now the song…"_ Peaceful rest to the living dead. Rest…peace…song…

Ikal fought skeletons off all around her, the platform rising and falling in rhythm. Zelda opened her mouth, summoning all the magic within her voice, and sang the song in her memory as loudly as her lungs could manage. The skeletons by them froze. Ikal stopped, weapons ready. The undead looked at the princess, almost remorseful and listless as the reach of their hands toward her drifted down. They seemed to sigh, and then their bones blew away like so much dust in a gust of wind. The Princess of Hyrule kept singing, until all of the spirits' voices were gone, and when she opened her eyes again the skeletons were gone as well. Ikal was looking at her with a strange expression.

"Where did you hear that, and what did it just do?" she asked.

"I heard it in my memories. It gives rest to the dead." Zelda replied, then motioned that they should continue. They jumped onto the last guillotine platform, rolled underneath it, then jumped across the last couple invisible platforms to reach the door in question. "Something beyond this door makes my skin crawl…so, this is the door we need to go through."

They went through it and started walking through some relatively uneventful halls, walls still covered with those scratched-in runes. "Zelda, that song…the first part of it. My father used to sing that to me as a lullaby."

Zelda smiled. "That doesn't surprise me. That would be the "moon" portion of the song. Some historians speculate that the composer brothers, who made the two parts of the song, were Sheikah. One was working on the "sun" portion, the other on the "moon" portion. Their results were lost with time, and the song faded from knowledge, except for one boy hundreds of years ago who found it and taught it to me."

"He didn't happen to wear green and bear a striking resemblance to Link did he?" Ikal asked with a smirk.

Zelda shook her head, hiding a slight flush in her cheeks. "I could not see his face. Only hear his voice, and it was unfamiliar." Ikal laughed, and the princess wondered how her friend could be so light hearted in a dire situation such as theirs. Perhaps it was the Sheikah 'mask' her race employed to protect their heart of hearts. If only there were such a mask to protect herself from herself. It would be so much more convenient if every inch of this accursed temple didn't make the princess's skin crawl, and her heart grow faint. When they got out of this mess, she was going to go lie down in a field of pink flowers and pet talking deer, or some ridiculously sweet thing such as that. Nonetheless, Zelda did not wander from their momentarily uneventful path, but walked straight where the fear in her heart told her not to. No one could ever accuse the Princess of Hyrule of being a coward. The more she was around Link, the bolder she felt herself getting. It was odd, the effects they seemed to have on each other. However now was not a time or a place to be thinking about her General, so Zelda focused on the task at hand and opened a door on the other side of the dirt room they were in while her stomach did a flip flop.

They were greeted by the sight of a ship with a bird-like creature on the bow, and a black hull made from a similar material to the silver-striped rock the houses in Sheikah cavern were formed of. It bobbed in a mist that seemed to roll like waves in a bottomless channel. The spirits were loud here as well, but they were not unhappy. These sounded even older than the ones in the guillotine cavern, sighing from beneath the mists in a land where the dead found rest. The princess's heart dropped into her stomach, her mouth went dry, her palms became sweaty, and she knew why she was in the temple.

"This is my destination," Zelda said, not looking away from the dark ship. "I must travel on this accursed vessel upon which my spirit has never tread, and I must go alone."

Ikal grabbed Zelda's upper arm, red eyes glaring at the princess. "I will not leave your side, Zelda, even if you go to the realm of the dead. I will not leave you alone at the hands of Darkness. Never. You cannot ask that of me!"

Zelda frowned and cupped the Sheikah's cheek in her hand. "Ika, my dear friend, you know that you cannot ride this vessel to its end and live. I need you alive to protect me from the likes of Teela's treachery. More than that, my soul cannot bear losing the sister of my heart to Death's clammy grasp. Please do not ask me to suffer so."

The red-haired Sheikah would not budge, but grasped the hand on her cheek in an iron grip. "Then I will jump off at the ledge where the ship plummets to the land of the dead, and you will come with me."

"Yes, you will jump off, but I cannot." Ikal made a sound, but Zelda cut her off. "No! There is something bigger going on here than proving something to Teela. I can feel it in the depths of my soul. I cannot explain, but my destiny is beneath the mists. Please do this for me: you remember the song I sang in the cavern?" Ikal nodded, eyes shimmering suspiciously like one on the boarder of tears, but of course a Sheikah never cries. "When you jump off, go through that section of the temple and bring peace to the restless souls there with the song. They will not attack you, after all, and I can at least give them one gift as a princess of the lineage that betrayed them with our unforgiveness." Ikal nodded and Zelda smiled her thanks. They took a calming breath, then walked to the ladder and leapt to grab its bottom rung, hoisting herself up to the platform from which they could board the ghostly vessel.

When Ikal had joined her, they jumped onto its wooden deck together and paused. Nothing moved. There was a large triforce painted in the middle of the deck which the princess recognized, and she stepped forward to sing her family's secret song.

When she opened her mouth to sing the first notes, Ikal sprung forward and wrapped her arms around the princess from behind. Zelda blinked, patting the Sheikah's violet-wrapped hands with confusion on her face. "Ikal?"

"You _will _come back from the land of the dead Zelda! No one has before…ever…but you will. I know you will. Of all the people in this entire world who could manage a trip to the land of the dead and make it back alive, it's you. You are _more_ than you have ever given yourself credit for."

Zelda felt a lump rise in her throat, the fear that had taken a grip on her easing just a little. She swallowed and turned around to hug the Sheikah back, holding the other girl's lithe form close. "I promise that I will return. Do not be afraid for me," she whispered.

Ikal sniffed a little and nodded. "You'd better, Zelda, or I'm going to kill you when I get there. You're the closest thing I have to family left in this world. You take my sister away doing this 'Princess of Destiny's Spirit' stuff and I'm never going to forgive you. I claim the part of you that's not her."

Zelda laughed, the sound broken a little by the lump still in her throat, gave Ikal a final tight squeeze, and let go. "No part of me is not her, Ikal, but my childhood and adolescence in this life belong to you anyway. They were spent with you, after all."

A real tear rested on the silver tattooed tear on Ikal's cheek, but she smiled through it and laughed. "Remember the time we snuck ink in your father's food and when he ate it turned his entire mouth black, even his teeth?"

"Then he went to an important meeting with black teeth because he could not get it off," Zelda said, chuckling.

"And you had to tell him you did it the second he got out of the meeting, before he had the cook executed," Ikal's eyes were twinkling with tears and memories.

"I still should not find that so funny," Zelda said through laughter and her own shimmering red eyes. She tugged the barb at end of Ikal's braid, as she had most of her life. "Remember when I started having 'female problems' and my father was so frightened he hired one of the scullery maids he was sleeping with to come give me 'the talk', but the woman was so ashamed to even be in my presence she could not get two words out of her mouth that made sense."

"So my mother convinced your father to allow you to come to our village for a couple weeks, and _she_ taught you everything a woman needs to know about growing up. It was the first time you had worn anything but those hideous royal dresses. Your father flipped his lid when you brought those tunics and pants home and started wearing them around the castle." Ikal sighed, reaching over to brush a couple strands of blond-streaked auburn hair away from Zelda's face, hidden as it was beneath the Sheikah wraps. "Okay. I trust you. You can sing now, oh Siren of Hyrule," she said teasingly.

Zelda winked, stepping back into the center of the triforce. "You had better believe it, sister—anyone that hears this voice falls to their ruin for want of me."

"Then why haven't you sung to that handsome Hero yet?"

"Oh, shut up."

"Ha!"

Zelda shook her head, then took a deep breath and focused again. The lilting, magical sounds of the royal family's lullaby floated through the air, short and beautiful. At first nothing happened, but then the bells on the sides of the ship started ringing. The sound reverberated through the cavern like church bells at a funeral. Zelda stepped back to Ikal's side as the vessel lurched forward. They looked at each other, both getting their long daggers ready.

Two skeletons jumped up out of the mist, but these were different from the ones before. They moved in a distinctly feminine way, were about the same size as Ikal and Zelda, and were covered in women's armor with twin scimitars and large jewels on their foreheads. They gave off an aura of darkness, not related at all to the restless spirits. Ikal leapt at them with her hands, feet, and dagger flying. Zelda jumped in, accosting the one that Ikal was not fighting, and although she wasn't as fast as the Sheikah-born woman she had some magic up her sleeves for just such an occasion. The Ferry to the Land of the Dead bobbed on its grim journey, the four figures battling on its deck blurs of motion.

Ikal's skeleton wore armor with a red tint, against which her latest kick bounced. She cursed under her breath and flipped backward to avoid a swipe from the skeleton's scimitar, then ducked under the swipe from its second scimitar to get a solid hit on its torso with her dagger. It staggered backward just enough for her to fit in three more quick jabs before it got its defenses up. Glancing at the princess from the corner of her eyes, Ikal fell flat to the ground when the skeleton she was fighting went for a high swipe, kicking the creature's feet out from under it. It landed with a sickening crunch and the Sheikah jabbed her dagger into the joint where its head was attached to its neck. The joint snapped, the bones crumbling into clouds of darkness and dust.

Zelda seemed to be doing okay against her foe, from what Ikal could tell. Her blasts of Din's Fire and balls of light seemed particularly effective. As the Sheikah sprinted the short length of the deck to the fray, she absently wondered who taught Zelda battle magic, since those arts were almost completely dead. Perhaps it was one of those "princess of destiny" things.

"Zelda! Blast her to the ground with your fire!" Ikal yelled, dagger ready. The princess nodded and held her hands in front of her. A ball of fire grew between her palms, growing large enough that the edges of Zelda's Sheikah smock began to singe. Yelling with the effort of controlling the fire, Zelda hurdled it at the skeleton's chest. It flew backward and slammed into the wall, bouncing back onto the ship's deck face down. Ikal leapt on top of it and severed its head from its body the same way as she had the other one.

The princess reached down through the burst of dust and darkness to grab Ikal's hand and hoist her up. "Good thinking, Ika, and good timing. It is time for us to part ways."

A glance at the front of the ship showed the princess to be correct, as the hallway opened to a larger cavern with a shelf on the left side where Ikal would drop down. Panting lightly from the battles, the violet and black clad Sheikah ran over to her white and blue clad princess-sister and slammed into her, binding her arms around the princess's shoulders. "Please, Zel, please be careful. No one knows what's down there, and I doubt it has been unaffected by the Darkness in this temple. Please!"

The entire ship started shuddering, as if someone where trying to work a rusty bolt out of its tight holder. "I will! Get off, Ika! Hurry!" The princess practically shoved her off the side as the ship plummeted into the mists. The last sight she saw in the World of the Living was Ikal's red eyes watching her over the edge of the platform until there was nothing left to see but mist. Zelda wasn't going to wonder now if it was the right choice, to voluntarily die with no plan on how to return to life. For the good of her people, perhaps even for the good of the world, she had leapt and there was no turning back now.

!

Link was crying and screaming and he didn't even know why. All of the sudden it felt as if the sun had gone out. Like his life and its purpose were over. Like his heart had been removed and run through with a thousand needles. The reason his soul existed was gone, and he didn't even know what that was exactly.

All around him the Bulbin army was surrendering, King Bulbin himself killing any of his own people that tried to lift a weapon against one of the Hylian troops. The captains organized their men back into ranks, medics rushed in to take care of the sizable number of fallen Hylian soldiers, and the sweet taste of victory buzzed in the air like honey bees on a flower. Link could feel none of it; he felt like he was tumbling into some imprisoning darkness. His sword fell from his hand, his face darkened, his eyes went placid and blank. Volc was there, the medics were there, even King Bulbin was there, but the hero didn't show any signs of acknowledging their efforts to reach him. His body may have stood on that battlefield, but it seemed as if it were hollow.

The army said that the General's own ruthlessness finally made him snap. Others said the battle shock from all of his adventures had finally caught up with him, young as he was. Some said he was just testing them again, and that he was really fine. Volc took command of the army, negotiating a truce with the Bulbins and getting help for their men. Link was carried to a rich tent, his armor removed, sword placed by his side. Epona stood with her head inside the tent door watching her master and friend with the worry of a horse.

Link was, for all intents and purposes, gone. Out of commission. He slipped in and out of consciousness or feverish sleep in which he cried and screamed Zelda's name in Ancient Hylian, a language none there understood. Inside of the trap that was his mind, memories of her from countless lifetimes pulsed through him at such a rate his physical systems just shut down to their lowest power to handle it all.

One thing his spirit, old as time itself, knew—the companion for which it was created, the one it was to protect and honor, the one in whose name it was supposed to fight, was gone. Her very spirit had exited life to a place where not even his indomitable hero's spirit had dared to venture. The hero had failed, and he wasn't even with her to try and win.

!

She fell forever. The ship was gone, her body falling through a void of time and darkness. It was as if she aged and died, then was born again in the mists between Life and Death. It may have been a few minutes, or a few hundred years before her body's descent slowed. The mists began to clear, the darkness to lighten, and the princess's artificial red gaze strained to see some definite form. Heavy and raw as her eyes felt, they could not seem to find any solid thing in the space she was drifting through. If only she could at least stand on something solid...

Suddenly there was grass beneath her. Her body righted itself, feet gently touching on the ground. Zelda swayed for a moment, stumbled a little as if taking her first steps again, and dropped to her knees. Determined she gathered herself and willed her legs to stand firm—they did so, shaky at first but with more confidence each passing moment. "_Good,"_ she thought, or said. She couldn't tell whether she was speaking or not. _"What now?"_

The question seemed to reverberate back to her, as if spoken in a cavern. _What now, what now, what now? What do you want, what do you want, what do you WANT?_

A cloud of dark mist floated out of the horizon beyond the grass field, formed an image of Hyrule Castle, dropped; swelled again, formed a little cottage in the mountains she dreamt about as a girl, dropped; swirled and churned there, just beyond sight. _What do you want, what do you WANT? _The voice sounded both feminine and masculine, both menacing and innocent, impatient and kind, soft and loud. The strange dark mist swelled again, rolling over the grass and stopping right next to her. It rose up and formed an image of herself, but not herself—the woman's face was hard, her eyes fierce and glowing red, her hands scarred and rough. They wore the same Sheikah uniform, but the mist-Zelda stood like Ikal in battle. She paced, moving like a wraith, restless and agitated. _"What do I want?"_ she asked, a voice that commanded questionless obedience, unwavering strength.

Zelda's hands began to tremble, and she shook her head. _"I do not know…I just don't…"_ a clump of mist detached from mist-Zelda's foot, rolled behind her a few yards and swelled up, forming a man in green with a troubled face and a strange white mask. A clump detached from him, rolled to the side, formed a throne made of gold with a ruler's scepter and sword leaning on the plush red seat. Zelda's breath quickened, her eyes widening. The mist-Zelda drifted backwards to stand by the man with a possessive hand pressed to his hard stomach, the other hand clutching the throne. When the princess looked at the Self formed of Mist she could see countless selves outside of time, past selves and future selves, countless experiences, memories; choices, mistakes; desires, duties; split lives, each of them, never whole. On one hand a normal life, desiring love and freedom, a quite life where she could be whatever kind of woman she wanted to be; on the other hand a life of authority, desiring power, wisdom, knowledge, responsibility, peace, welfare. She felt her_self_ splitting, as if her very body were trying to break in half.

In shock and pain she looked down at herself. A golden fissure twinkled like tinsel on a holiday tree through the middle of her form, shining with light, jagged like a crack in a mountain face. _What do you want, want do you want, what do you want? Who are you, what do you want?_

"_I-I-I cannot, I do not, I…"_

_Who are you? What do you want? They are simple questions, Princess who Lives in Everlasting Light. Who are you? What do you want?_

The mist-forms before her fell, churned on the grass like a boiling pond, then swelled up again right in front of her. They became a gigantic, gold-trimmed mirror the size of a wall, stretching a meter above her, and a meter and a half to the left and right of her. Within its depths, darkness swirled.

Slowly an image formed: she could see a battle, herself in the middle of it all commanding troops, commanding respect and power, almost seeming to glow with an ethereal authority. There was something wrong about her though, as if in denying half of herself, her desire for a simple life, she had killed all mercy in her heart. The scene shifted: prisoners and traitors lined up in the Shadow Temple. She stood in what appeared to be a blood-covered torture chamber, overseeing the torture of a man strapped to a wooden X in the middle of the room. The Sheikah obeyed her commands, using their strange devices to torture and extract information. She saw countless faces, all who had died and been tortured. The faces shifted. They were Sheikah, but they were all possessed by a darkness, a madness. At least half of the large Sheikah Race lined the walls of the temple, scratching into it—names, names of the dead, names of the offenses, names of the darkness that crawled out of the pits, attracted by the blood and the shadows. They started wielding evil magic, were banned to another realm of eternal shadow, eternal twilight, while she lived and died in peace, in light, with all authority at her fingertips.

A boy in green was born, and a new princess with a blue ocarina. She chose him, but could not divorce her responsibility—he was cursed to live an unfulfilled life for her, died in regret and loneliness, while she lived in quiet turmoil wielding an authority she hated, and worlds suffered her mistakes.

Scenes of choices—choosing power, choosing quiet—neither worked, ever. There was nothing but darkness and pain no matter what she chose. _Wisdom… _the voice said. _Increasing wisdom increases sorrow. _They_ have cursed you with lives of sorrow and unfulfillment. You bring pain to one or the other, princess…you hurt what you love, always denying all of you, half reserved for things you cannot have…wisdom, sorrow, decisions, pain. The Way of Wisdom…heir of Wisdom that you are…would not death be welcome? Will you deny the world wholeness for your selfish desires? As long as you live, the world will be torn…forever. Here, in the World of Death, you can have everything you desire…everything. _

In the mirror now was her Mist-Self in the arms of the man in green. They held one another and wore crowns upon their heads, the royal scepter in her hand, and the royal sword of justice in his. Happy people stood behind them as far as the eye could see, cheering their names. _Look into the mirror at the memories of your lives…you have never had this. You _can _never have this. Life and its slaves will not allow it…I will. Death will give you rest, wholeness…I will give you everything, if only you will give yourself to me…._

It made sense, and looked so good. She could feel the sorrow of all her selves, all the land, all the people she had ever led. Zelda could feel the choices, the indecision, the split nature of her existence…never joined, never whole, unable to commit to one or the other, always bringing pain and death to the very things she longed to bring life to. Perhaps Death was right. Perhaps the solution was to stay here in the Land of the Dead, and let her two eternal loves—Hyrule and the Hero—move on to all they were capable of becoming without her conflicts to hold them back. It made so much sense…felt so right…

Her eyes closed and her fingers drifted forward, touched the surface of the glass. Her mist-self stepped away from the man and their thrones, reaching her fingers to touch Zelda's fingers on the other side of the mirror. The mist-self's eyes were consumed by red—no pupils, no white, just endless glowing pools of red. Their fingers touched. The golden fissure running down real-Zelda's middle began to pulse, then shrink. With her eyes closed, Zelda did not see the mirror fall, or the Mist-People's eyes all change to red glowing pools, or the man's clothes become black, or the field become a dry, cracked desert, or the light turn to darkness.

"_This is best…they will find rest, I will find rest…this makes sense…" _she thought, her mind heavy, sluggish, and her heart breaking in her breast.

_Yes,_ the strange voice practically hissed. _You want wholeness. You are whole. I will give you everything you've ever desired, if only you will give yourself to me…finally, my sweet Lady of Light…finally, you are mine…mine…._

**Author's Note**:

Death is a sly trickster with the tongue of a snake. Don't listen to him.

Don't worry, readers, chapter twenty-one is already under construction! As for this chapter, I think Zelda rocks. Not just in this chapter, but in general. She's really the best Princess EVER. Think about it: she kicks butt! For example, hiding out in disguise as a sheikah taping her chest flat and gathering information the hero will need for seven years in OoT while she waited for him to be released. (I know some people think she does it with magic, but I like the idea of doing it manually better. It's so much more dynamic!) She is not some weak-willed princess who needs saving, or weeps all the time, (though I know she did a lot of it in that one chapter…) She's strong and fierce and deadly, and she does all of it without having to dress like a skank, or like a poodle. I LOVE HER!

In other news, for reference reading on the article I drew from on the sheikah history, go to Zelda Informer, the Races and People section of the Bombers articles, and look up an article called "Exposing the Sheikah". Good stuff.

Thanks for reading, and please review! Until the next chapter,

_~The Wolfess_

**EDIT: Hero of Wolves Promotional Posters, artwork courtesy of yours truely! Go to my Deviant Art account (Link found on profile) and check 'em out!**


	22. Game Over? Or

-**See Author's Note at end of chapter. Standard Disclaimers apply—I own nothing, including the poem, which is cited appropriately.**

If you can, listen to "Meeting the Princess" by George Powell from the Hero of Time movie soundtrack (found on their website) while reading this chapter. It's what I listened to while writing most of it.

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-One: Game Over? Or…**

_Do not go gentle into that good night,  
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

_Though wise men at their end know dark is right,  
Because their words had forked no lightning they  
Do not go gentle into that good night._

_Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright  
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

_Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,  
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,  
Do not go gentle into that good night._

_Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight  
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

_And you, my father, there on the sad height,  
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.  
Do not go gentle into that good night.  
Rage, rage against the dying of the light._

~Dylan Thomas, 1951

The desert had a strange, desolate beauty to it that Captain Volc appreciated more and more with each fall and rise of the sun over its golden sands. Even in the harried state he was in with his sudden responsibilities, the young Marquis admired this barren land the Bulbins called home with its vibrant sunsets and sunrises, and its powerful sandstorms. Harsh though the landscape surely was, filled with death and promising death, it commanded a terrible beauty and a power to be respected. The Marquis certainly gave power the respect due it.

Two men had died in the battle, surrounded by overwhelming numbers of Bulbins. Their remains were preserved and sealed in an airtight box to take back to the families. The scouts held hostage were recovered, and in debriefing they learned that a Bulbin party of over fifteen to each man had overwhelmed them with numbers and taken them captive, despite the superior skill of the Hylians scouts. Plenty of men sustained wounds in various degrees of severity. Medics tended to the more serious wounds immediately, and the rest were now being treated.

King Bulbin insisted that the army camp within their stronghold, where protection from the sands, winds, and harsh light would be provided, along with desert sustenance. The Bulbins' form of food, however, was to kill, roast, and eat the white desert leeches. Some of the braver Hylians, remembering stories General Link had told them of eating those leeches when he journeyed in the desert on his adventure, accepted the food. Most of the soldiers, however, just munched on their rations and stared into space. _Many of them have not seen true battle, have they?_ Volc realized. The army had not often left the walls of Hyrule, and many of the company gathered were recruited and trained after the war. The passing of innocence in war was, perhaps, the sorest loss felt by any young soldier. Having just checked on the wounded, the temporarily-in-charge captain made his way through the rest of the army, mourning their two fallen comrades and tending their hearts, soon reaching his destination.

Having had a break in negotiations with King Bulbin, the Marquis wanted to check up on the true leader of the army. He knew that Link had done a lot of negotiating with creatures of all types on his adventures, and Volc felt like he didn't fully know what he was doing. Guidance would be welcome, even if Link was perhaps too weakened to negotiate himself.

A group of medics gathered just outside the door of the General's tent, which had its flap tied closed. The General's horse, Epona, still stood with her nose just inside. Captain Volc strode over, squinting his eyes at the medics.

"Why are you all standing _outside_ the tent? I'm pretty sure your job is to tend to him, which requires you to be _inside_ the tent. The Bulbins are starting to doubt his true strength. We need him up and walking about as soon as possible," he said.

A medic stepped forward and saluted. "Sir, we would be inside the tent, but…" he shuffled his feet and rubbed his neck, looking to a medic beside him for support.

Volc waved his hand, his bird-like countenance marked with impatience. "Please, what are your reasons? Do not annoy me by delaying."

The medic cleared his throat. "Well, the General tried to strangle the last man who went in there. We can't understand a word he's saying on top of it."

"You mean he's awake?" Volc said, stepping toward the tent flap. "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"It happened just a few minutes ago, and we've been trying to calm him—Sir, I would not go in there!"

Volc pushed the medic aside. "Oh, bother your caution. Has General Link taught you nothing of bravery?" He untied the tent flap and slipped through.

The furnishings were modest and quiet, befitting of a general at war, but the man pacing the floor inside of it was fuming. At the sound of Volc's clanking armor and heavy steps Link darted into a corner and fell into a crouch, snarling with his teeth clenched. Volc froze, hands flying up as a sign of good intent. Link had apparently dressed himself in his favored green tunic and strapped on all of his weaponry. His blond hair was scraggly and unkempt, one of his fists clenching and unclenching at his side, while the other seemed to be clutching some sort of glowing, cloth-wrapped stone. It was his eyes, however, that caused Volc's heart rate to speed up, and his palms to sweat. The deep blue of the General's irises were replaced by a green so rich and vibrant they glowed, shining green light outward into the dark tent. The black pupils were rimmed with a ring of shining gold, and they reflected the flecked light from the doorway like the eyes of a wolf at night.

The wolf-man snarled something in a language that Volc did not fully understand. Was it ancient Hylian, he wondered, heart rate skipping a beat when the General's fury seemed to rise and he repeated the question. Volc thought hard on the little ancient Hylian he knew, then said in very broken speech, "_I not get you_."

Link blinked, the green light in the tent flashing because of the movement. "What happened to her?" he demanded in modern Hylian. "Where have you put me?"

Volc's brow furrowed in confusion, his hands still held in the air. "You are our General. You collapsed in battle, so we put you in this tent to recover. We mean you no harm. I do not know what woman you are talking about."

Link made a sound like a growl, and though he straightened up from his crouch he still exuded an aura of deadly power, green eyes flashing and churning, fingers worrying the strange stone's surface. He said what Volc assumed to be a name in the ancient tongue, then repeated it in modern Hylian. "Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. What has happened to Zelda?"

This just got more and more confusing. "I do not know. We have been gone from the castle for five days and are now in the Gerudo Desert, do you not remember?"

Link stalked over to Volc, grabbing the front of the captain's uniform with his free hand, vibrant eyes glaring. He seemed to weigh the terrified man's words and intent in his mind for a few moments, then let go of him with such force that the captain fell straight onto his behind. Link started stalking again, murmuring a steady stream of ancient Hylian. Volc backed out of the tent flap, not bothering to try and stand up until he was safely away from the dangerous hero's violent gaze.

"Told you," the medic he had spoken to earlier said. Volc stood up, glared at the man, and stalked away from the tent. He had to talk to the other captains about their leader. Whatever was going on with Link and the Princess, the campaign that her Highness had sent them on was in their hands now. They had to confer on an appropriate course of actions given these newfound circumstances. Something was wrong with their General, and apparently he thought that something was wrong with their Monarch. Although it was highly possible the Ordonian man had just snapped and was losing his mind, if the Princess _was_ in danger then the campaign was over. The problem was were they to believe the ravings of a mad man who had no possible way of knowing the state of their Monarch, or were they to stay put and risk the mysterious man with strange powers being correct? No matter which choice they made, their current campaign was at risk. If the Bulbins caught wind of what was going on and deemed them weak after all, then this rather expensive and mildly unimportant campaign was ruined. If it wasn't for the fact that Volc had been trained in politics since he was old enough to recognize a dog when he saw one, he would have a large headache right about now.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Link left in the night. He would have been stealthy, if not for the light from his eyes and the golden glow from the triforce hidden on the back of his left hand. In the night its glow could be seen just fine, even through his leather gauntlets. Thinking him some kind of strange firefly in the distance, some unfortunate Bulbins crossed his path and immediately ended up impaled on his sword. A part of his mind screamed at him to stop trying to kill everything—they were here to form an alliance after all—but that part was a small voice lost in a sea of raging animalistic heroes. This was not just Link of Ordon, Hero of Light, though it was his body, and his consciousness was in there—this was Farore's Champion: one part Hero, three parts Beast.

He ran with an inhuman speed, but he did not know where to run. Every instinct in his Hero's Soul told him to go save, to go rescue, but she was nowhere on this earth to be found. If she were he would know immediately where to go, but she was outside of this world. So he ran full tilt toward Hyrule, toward the Castle, intent on cutting down anyone who stood in the way of his saving sword.

Link had tried to turn into a wolf by putting on the stone, but for some reason it did not affect him. As he ran it bounced against his chest, the orange glow from the twilight rivets along its surface acting almost like a barrier between his skin and the stone itself. The evil magic of the stone could not touch Farore's Divine Beast. So, although the wolf's senses were more acute for tracking and his legs were quicker for traveling, the wolf-man ran with human legs and the despair of a hundred divine beasts clawing in his chest. His glowing eyes stung with furious tears, the cold wind in his face reeking of an unnatural death that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. "_Do not go gentle into that good night, Zelda…"_ Link murmured in the ancient tongue with voices of heroes. "_Rage! Rage against the dying of the light!"_

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

The Princess of Destiny stood in the middle of a gray, desolate desert. There was no sand and no sun, just storm clouds and cracked clay as far as the eye could see. In front of a mirror with her fingers pressed to its glass, Zelda stood with her eyes closed and did not see the changes and darkness swelling around her.

"_This is best…they will find rest, I will find rest…this makes sense…" _she murmured, voice slurred, mind sluggish, eyes heavy. Thunder crackled in the sky like menacing laughter. She felt dizzy, like a little girl who had been twirling in circles for too long.

"_ZELDA!"_ a voice shouted. The fog lifted from her mind for a moment, and she shook her head. What was that sound, so angry and yet so sweet? "_Do not go gentle into that good night, Zelda…_" Wait—that was a voice the princess knew. So familiar, and furious. Alarmed, her eyes snapped open and she looked about. The self in the mirror had her shadowy hand outside of the glass, fingers clawing into the real princess's arms. The fog finally lifted from her mind. Princess Zelda looked down at the black marks clawed into her forearms by the mirror self's fingers. Tendrils of black seemed to crawl into her veins from the five marks on each arm and spread up."_Rage…rage against the dying of the light!"_ Zelda gasped. It was Link's voice, but from a hundred lifetimes. She saw the red eyes, she saw the darkness and the dryness, and what was going on finally clicked in her mind. Shadow shackles seemed to fall from her neck.

"_No,_" she murmured. The princess wrenched her arms away from the mist-self's grasp. She stumbled backward and started scrubbing her arms, ignoring the pain as black skin flaked off like burnt paper. The Mist-Zelda's face contorted and darkened, her red eye sockets slanting downward with rage. A sound came from her like a screech that soon spread, as if the whole world of death were screaming. "_No," _Zelda said, voice croaking at first. She swallowed, mustering what confidence was left in her being._ "No! I now see through your tricks, and will NOT allow you to claim me so easily, Death! Spirit of Darkness I call your bluff—you have no power over me, and your lies have no hold on my mind!"_ The mirror, the mist-self, and everything within the mirror exploded and crumpled to a dark mist that fled over the plain. A fierce wind started up, as if the land itself was retaliating. Zelda raised am arm to cover her eyes, and raised her voice above the wind's angry howl. "_I call your bluff, Death!"_ she yelled. "_Come face me, for I wield Truth, Light, and Life like a sword and will cut you down with it!" _

The land, the storm, everything exploded in a puff of dark mist that slithered away. Zelda found herself floating in a void of darkness, and from all around her a voice snarled. _I speak truth. You are torn by indecision, and will ruin all peoples. You cannot be a ruler and a lead a simple life at the same time. You are mine, Lady of the Light, belonging to darkness—you, him, and your entire world will be mine. Death and Darkness' servant will Hyrule become. Starting with you._

Zelda looked at her black marks and laughed. She threw her head back and actually laughed, a long and joyful chortle. "_You deceive yourself, Death. You are defeated already. You cannot have my life, and you cannot have my land. We are made of light, and where light is darkness must flee. You have no choice!"_ Light sprung up from the back of her right hand despite the blackness that seemed to cover it more by the moment. The light shone from the Triforce and filled the void. The very darkness shrieked and writhed in pain. Zelda's irises glowed with a blue so pure it colored the top of the void with the blue of a clear sky, and the gold from her hand swept out to form a gold swaying wheat field upon which she stood. "_I, Nayru's Ambassador, have brought the Love and Truth of her rule to this land of Death. As her envoy, I decree that Darkness will no longer reign here, and the spirits of the dead will once again rest in true peace. This world is free." _There was light, love, and truth all around. Spirits of people appeared all over the golden field and wandered about.

Darkness fled from her, but as it departed the World of the Dead a whisper was left behind, tickling at the back of her neck. _You may have driven me out of this place, but I have been in your world for centuries, and my rule there has already begun, Nayru's fool…._

Zelda paid him no mind. She looked around with a small smile, then closed her glowing eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. "Great goddesses," she prayed, voice no longer a strange ethereal echo, "keep this land in your power, wisdom, and courage, but rescue me from Death once again, for my work is not finished in the Land of the Living." For a moment nothing happened, and Zelda's heartbeat quickened. Had she been tainted by the marks of Darkness? Was she trapped in this land of death forever?

With one movement the dead turned and looked at the Princess. Their eyes were washed white and their ashen faces shimmered like water on a whale's belly. A feminine voice emitted from their mouths, comprised of three voices braided into one. The sound rose up from the wheat field like wind on the plains as the long green grass waved like billows in the sea and flashed like white tops in the sunlight.

"Princess of Destiny," said the mouths of the dead, "you have given yourself to Death. He is a master from whom none can return. Not even you."

Zelda's breath came in shortened gasps, her brow creasing with worry. "Certainly there must be something I can do to earn my passage to where I belong. This land needed to be cleansed—have I not performed the task set before me by the Goddesses? Am I to be punished for my obedience?" She tucked a lock of hair behind her pointed Hylian ear and held her breath.

After a few moments of tense silence the dead spoke again. "You speak the truth, brazen Princess with the heart of a warrior." The spirits of the dead took a step backward with one leg, their movements slow as a willow tree's hair in a breeze. Their arms drifted upward, pointing to an unseen location across the grassy plain. "Follow these hands and find Death. Prove your wisdom and he may release you."

Zelda placed her hands over her heart and bowed. "Thank you."

To move in the direction that the dead indicated, Zelda had to walk pass their ghastly forms. Though they did not show evidence of how they died—no disease or wounds were to be seen—they nonetheless bore the ashen skin tone, sunken cheeks, and hollow eyes of a corpse. The milky eyes of each spirit she passed followed her. Though her skin crawled, the Princess carefully showed no outward sign of her disgust and continued to walk.

She felt as if she were walking forever, at no particular speed, and with no change in the scenery. If it wasn't for the changing faces of the dead as far as her eyes could see she would wonder if she was moving forward at all. Her mind slowed its calculating, becoming a blank quiet hum intent on one goal. Follow the hands.

Eventually Zelda noticed the green grass turn to a healthy autumn gold like the color of a healthy wheat field. It came up to her waist and she skimmed her hands along the top. For another millennium she walked, thinking only of Death and freedom.

It began as a green smudge along the horizon. The closer she got, the more it rose out of the ground, green to brown to gold, until a tall mighty tree stood before her. It was perhaps the oldest tree she had ever seen, and the biggest. It stood on a little rise in the endless field like an ancient sage with a grim face. As the Princess got closer, a black and white figure seemed to fade into the scene as if it had always been standing there with its arms crossed and feet spread in front of the tree trunk.

She knew it immediately. She had seen it her entire life. Her country had been ravaged by its hands and her soul had evaded its cold breath since the dawn of time. Its body was wrapped in leathery cloth as black as the blackest rot. Its hands and feet were unclad, but ghostly white with a clammy texture. Its head was also white and scaly but bald as an old man's unadorned crown, and its eyes were wrapped in decaying strips of cloth. It reeked of burial ointments, perfumes, and rot.

Zelda squared her shoulders, planted her feet, and raised her chin. "You cannot keep me here, Death. I belong to the Goddesses and was sent to do their work. I will not be your prize." If Death heard what she said, it showed no indication. Did it even see her? Zelda tried again.

"I need to return to Hyrule. To my appointed time." Still it didn't acknowledge her presence. Princess Zelda frowned, thought for a moment, then sighed a little and bent in a respectful bow. "Please pardon my rudeness, my Lord. I have fought a great battle, and the strange passage of time in your Realm has wearied me."

The form moved, slithering into a bow with the toe of one foot extended forward, and a single hand sweeping behind. It then straightened as Zelda did, and returned to its previous stance. "_The Realm of Death has no time and all time. We are the elderly young. We exist in nonexistence. You have always existed and have just been born anew Princess of Nayru"_

Zelda tilted her head a little. "Wait…so are you telling me that I am existing outside of existence, or that I have missed the entirely of life and everything I know has died? As I walked through the plain to find you I felt both at various times."

Death likewise tilted its head. _"You are correct."_

A look of irritation crossed the Princess's face. "That was not a yes or no question, and you have not answered me. If I return to Hyrule to discover that several hundred years have passed, then all will be lost."

Death also seemed to be irritated. Its facial features contorted in frustration, and a single slippery white maggot crawled out of one nostril and into the other while Death spoke._ "Both are correct. You are outside of time, at time's beginning, and at the end of time all at once. In my Realm time is what I desire."_ Once again Zelda had to control her disgust. More slick maggots slipped out of Death's ears, nose, mouth, and from underneath the cloths around its eyes while Death spoke again. "_You claim to be doing the work of Nayru. How am I to know if you are doing your job or not, beloved of the Triune Goddesses? I cannot allow you to return if you are not."_

Zelda held out her palms in front of her and inclined her head. "I endeavor to walk in the ways of the Goddess of Wisdom. Test me as you see fit."

A smile crept onto Death's face, revealing rotted teeth and moldy gums inside. _"Very well. I will test you. If you pass then you will return to the Hyrule to the time and place that the Goddesses choose. I will release you from my binding contract. If you fail, then you are finally mine Destined Princess."_

Zelda paused, then bowed her head. "I accept your terms."

Death almost seemed to giggle, but the sound was choked out by the noise of frantic slithering larva in its throat. _"Answer my question, and answer it carefully. You have only one chance to answer: 'I come out of the earth. I am sold in the market. He who buys me cuts my tail, takes off my suit of silk, and weeps beside me when I am dead. What am I?'."_

Under her breath Zelda repeated it to herself several times, carefully examining every possible answer. Finally she settled on the best one and looked back at Death. "That is simple—you are an onion. It comes out of the earth and is sold at the market stalls. When they are bought their tails are cut off and their silky outer skin is peeled away. When they are being cut up, they make eyes water, as if crying."

Death actually laughed, several maggots falling out of its mouth and into the autumn field. _"Very good, Daughter of Nayru. I would have expected that to be simple for one with your blessing. This one is much harder: 'Two guardsman were investigating a mysterious death. When they arrived at the scene of the crime they found a room with no windows and the dead man who seemed to have hung himself by a rope from the ceiling. There was no chair or table that the man may have jumped off. The only clue was a puddle of water on the floor. How did the man manage to hang himself?'."_

"That's a very grim riddle," Zelda said, frowning. She crossed an arm over her midrift and tapped her chin with a finger while she thought. This was just the sort of predicament she had faced in the war trials before the army left on the Bulbin Campaign. If a cause of dead was unknown one would often have to be discerned to determine if punishment was needed or not. After ruling out a few possible answers for lack of evidence, Zelda chose the most likely answer with the information given. She smiled slow and triumphant. "He stood on a block of ice until he died."

Death gritted its teeth and growled. _"Curse you, Daughter of Nayru. One day you will be mine…"_

"But not this day," Zelda said. In a sudden flash, a golden light enveloped her. It surrounded her like the gentle caress of a mother's hands all around her body, and in the blink of an eye she was gone.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Link was coming down through the new road between Lake Hylia and the Gerudo Desert, still radiating a frantic power, still shining with light, when a strong wind in front of him blew so powerfully it stopped his long strides. He snarled and covered his face from the light that shone with the wind, a blinding concentration right in front of him. Such power and glory radiated from it he fell to his knees, face down on the ground. It faded back to the darkness of night and the wind calmed, but the Hero did not rise.

Gentle footsteps padded on the rock toward him. There was a swish of skirts, and a small glove-clad hand pressed to his shoulder. It pushed a little, but he would not move. "_Hero, please look at me_," said a woman's voice in the ancient tongue. Link raised his head, his glowing green eyes widening. Zelda kneeled on the ground in front of him, her eyes glowing a bright unnatural blue, clad in a gown that seemed to be woven of golden threads. She took the thread of the wolf stone between her forefinger and her thumb, then jerked her hand in such a way that it snapped and the evil stone fell to the ground. She looked at it long and hard, then smiled at him. "_Thank you."_

"_Princess…_" he whispered, reaching a shaking hand to touch the tips of her auburn hair. "_You are safe, then_?"

She cupped his face in her hands. "_Thanks to your voice, yes. I would not have been if I had not heard you call._" The hero smiled, his green eyes dancing with joy, and just nodded.

The light on their hands dimmed, and their eyes returned to normal. Link blinked, brow furrowing in confusion. Zelda also blinked and looked about her, letting go of Link's face. "What…where?" She started to ask, but then she jumped, the memory of what had transpired rushing back to her. "Oh!"

Suddenly Link was there, his arms surrounding her and pulling her to him. "_What_ did you _do_?" He practically hissed. "What could ever have possessed you to go where I could not save you, and made you think I wouldn't feel it?"

"Um…I am sorry?" Zelda said, patting his back awkwardly.

Link gasped and let her go as if she had suddenly burst into flames. "I'm so sorry princess! You're Highness!" He stood and held out his hand to help her up as well, still stuttering apologies.

She touched his arm. "It is okay, Link."

He sighed, finally stepping back to really examine her. The princess was dressed in a luxurious golden dress that shimmered like gold, and moved like water. Her shoulders and arms were bare, her hair loose down her back, with her royal tiara on her forehead and woven into her hair. There were golden sandals on her feet, and gloves that stretched up to her elbows like the ones she normally wore with her royal outfit. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asked. Zelda shook her head, looking at herself with the same curious expression as Link's.

"I am fine," she started, then lifted her arms in front of her and lifted up the end of one glove enough to see her skin underneath, without the hero seeing as well. There were five small black claw-like marks on her forearm, but it was not covering her entire arm like before. "Yes," she murmured, voice a little quieter. "I am tired, but unharmed."

The wolf-man looked doubtful. "What exactly happened?" he asked. He noticed the dropped wolf stone and scooped it up by the snapped thread, slipping it into his pouch as subtly as possible. The princess frowned at the pouch, but pretended not to notice.

"It is a long story," she said, "and unfortunately I really do need to return to where I was. What about your army and the campaign?"

Link rubbed the back of his neck. "I think Volc has a good handle on them for now. I—well, how about I take you where you need to go and we'll exchange stories on the way?"

Zelda smiled. "I would like that, thank you."

Link pulled out Epona's whistle and played her song. When the chestnut horse strode up, never far from her master, Link picked up the Princess by her waist and helped her up. He swung up in the saddle behind her, holding on to the reigns with his arms on either side of her golden form. "Is this okay with you, Zelda?" Link asked.

"Yes," she said. "I could not ride on the back in this small dress. We are going to the Sheikah Village. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, through North Hyrule Field before the Bridge of Eldin." He nudged Epona into a trot, his lips turning up at the corners. Zelda shifted in his arms, dipping her head to hide the faintest colorings of a blush. "Anyway," Link said, "what happened?"

"Ah, yes, well," she cleared her throat. "I was scheduled to go on a secret ambassador trip to the Sheikah village to assess damages, survivors, and their needs. However…"

All the way down to the bridge over Lake Hylia and through the eastern field Zelda told her tale, conveniently leaving out exactly what she had seen, heard, and almost believed in the Land of the Dead. In return, Link told her the details of the Bulbin Campaign since they had left the castle almost a week before, conveniently leaving out the wagon of rotting body parts, and his own rush of bloodlust just before he collapsed, courtesy of the Spirit of the Divine Beast that was his past selves. He was starting to realize that this wolf inside of himself went a little deeper than a strange stone collar. By the time they reached the hidden entrance to the Sheikah Village, the sun had risen and was well on its way in the sky. Filled with residue of the power that had taken them over neither felt the need to eat or rest on their journey, so the ride had passed rather quickly.

Link leapt off of Epona with a warrior's grace, then turned to help Zelda down. She braced her hands on his shoulders, his hands gentle on her waist as he lifted her off of the tall war horse and set her on the ground in front of him. Though they both knew it was highly improper the hero did not take his hands off of her waist, and the princess did not back away.

"I have never been more afraid in my life than when I felt you leave it," Link murmured, "nor have I ever felt more joy than when you appeared again." He cupped her face in one gauntleted hand, calloused fingers abrasive against the softness of her skin. Zelda covered his hand with her own, but did not respond. Their eyes spoke to one another; they were whirlpools of confusion, questions, responsibilities, complications, and emotions. The Princess caught the conflict in his wild gaze, and Link saw the warning in hers. He sighed and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "We both have a lot to do," he said after a time, letting his hand drop to his side.

"And much to think about," Zelda added, rubbing her arms as the chill in the air finally hit her. Ever since they mounted the horse the heat of his person had kept her warm.

"Wait a moment," Link said, crossing over to Epona. He rummaged through her saddlebags and pulled out a folded cloak. "It's not the warmest thing in the world, but I don't want you to catch a cold Princess," Link said with a lopsided smile. Zelda laughed a little as she put it on and held it close to her. It was very warm, and smelled like Epona, the desert winds, and something wild she suspected was him.

"Thank you, Link," she said. "We will talk more when you return?"

Link nodded. "Of course we will. You will be safe here?" His gaze flashed to the entrance and darkened.

"I will be," she promised. "I think that Ikal is already waiting for me."

"Okay then," Link said. He turned to Epona and grasped the horn of the saddle, paused while his eyes lingered on Zelda, then swung up. "Goodbye Princess," he said, waving and turning Epona around.

"Goodbye," she called after him. He spurred Epona forward with a loud _YAH_ and disappeared around a corner. _Time to face off with Darkness again_, she thought, walking into the dark tunnel toward Shadow Kakariko where Teela and those who sided with her waited.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

When Link rode into the army camp, sitting tall, strong, and quite sane-looking atop Epona, the army all but freaked out. Some pointed and said that it proved he really had been testing them, while others were confused but just glad that he had apparently recovered. Link felt more than a little nervous as hundreds of wary eyes followed him through the camp, but he did his best to keep his face blank and look like a general. Maybe if he pretended that nothing happened they wouldn't ask and everything would just blow over. Sure, Zelda was still in some danger, but Ikal was with her so she would be safe and neither Link nor the army was responsible for her at the moment. At least that's what he had been telling himself during his slow return ride. Anyway, he could worry about Zelda on his own. The army couldn't know anything about the Sheikah, Zelda's escapade, or his own beastly alter ego which had manifested itself in such a forceful way even without the wolf stone's help, so it was mouth shut for Link no matter what he might think about her safety.

He dismounted Epona in front of the General's tent, and within moments Volc and the other captains could be seen running toward him across the sand. Epona looked at Link and he rolled his eyes. "I know, girl, I won't say anything. But how can I explain what happened to them _without_ saying something?" She shook her head and nudged his shoulder. No answers from his horse on that particular matter. Link sighed, patted her neck, and fed her a carrot as the captains reached him.

"General Link!" Volc said, stopping a few feet away. The bird-like man saluted, but his face and body were tense and alert, eyes scanning Link for any signs of the previous condition in which he had been seen.

Link held up his hands. "I'm safe now, captain, you don't have to be afraid. I won't attack anyone, I promise."

Volc nodded and relaxed, eyes narrowing. "General, we need to talk. All of us."

"Yes, yes I know. Let's go inside my tent and I'll…explain." The captains nodded and followed him in through the tent flap, which Link tied closed behind them. He sat on the edge of the cot. "I'm sure that you want to know what happened," he said.

"Well, sir," the captain of the third company said, "you passed out, then awoke and…"

Volc stepped in. "And you tried to strangle the medics, almost attacked me, and jeopardized our negotiations with the Bulbins by appearing weak, leaving the complex, and killing some of their sentries for no reason as you departed."

"Uh, yeah I remember that part Volc. Thank you for the recount." Link leaned his chin on his fist and scrunched his eyebrows. "The truth, gentleman, is that I was momentarily taken by a bout of heat exhaustion that caused me to lose my self control and enter a delirious state in which I believed strange things were happening."

Volc frowned. "Then her highness isn't in danger?"

Link shook his head. "No. I was not in my right mind."

The captains muttered amongst themselves but seemed to believe him for the most part. "Well, are glad that you have recovered, sir, and will pass on news of your good health to the men," said the captain of the fifth company. They all got up and saluted, pardoning themselves to complete their duties. When they were gone, Volc crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Link.

"That was a bunch of horse shit," he said. "You and I both know it was more complicated than that. You were in a perfect state of mind, if a little…possessed at the moment."

Link shook his head. "It was not possession, Volc, that's demonic. This is more complicated than I can explain. I assure you that you and our men would have been perfectly safe as long as you did not get in the way of what I perceived as my mission. I left to see to the mission set before me, and once completed I was returned to my normal self and here I am."

"Mission," Volc scoffed. "You were frantic over her Highness's safety, and now you tell us that she is perfectly fine and you were just babbling? If I know anything about you from our time training together, it is that you possess unnatural strength and health. You would not submit to a simple case of heat stroke, and you were not delirious when I spoke to you. You were frantic."

Link shifted his eyes about the tent and rubbed the back of his neck. It was times like this where he would do anything to just grab the wolf stone in his bare hand and run away, free of all human responsibilities. As it was, he was trapped. "Captain Volc, I…I can't answer your demands. I have seen her and she is fine. Take my word for it."

"Why should I take your word?" Volc said, his voice hushed. "You have not proven that your word is honest or stable—only that we hear what you deem is safe for us to hear. How much of everything you say is filtered in this manner?"

"Volc—"

The Marquis stood up and strode toward the door. "I'll pass on news of your health to the medics and King Bulbin. He has been demanding to speak with you all night. Welcome back General." With that he swept out, closing the flap behind him.

Link groaned, rubbed his face with both of his hands, and flopped back onto the cot. _This is bad_, he thought. This would need to be fixed as soon as possible, but how? Volc was right. There was a lot the wolf-man wasn't telling anyone but Zelda, but it wasn't like he had an option. He couldn't tell them about Midna, the twilight realm, his wolf form, the Sheikah, or Zelda's …death and resurrection? It was just not an option. It was for their own good that they did not possess such knowledge. If only the princess were there. She would know what to say and do in political situations like this. All the wolf hero knew how to do was kill really effectively.

Zelda…

Link removed his hands from his face and stared at the tent ceiling. The princess was safe, he reminded himself. She would be protected. Still, he thought on all she had told and his heart ached. Why was she always sacrificing herself? Did she have no concept of how important she was to the world? To him? What he wouldn't do to see her safe from everything that would harm her…

Even as he thought this, his heart lurched and he thought of Ilia, and of Midna. He had loved them both, on different levels, hadn't he? It seemed that Ilia was moving on. Link had been trying not to think of the furtive glance she stole toward Fado, but even though it hurt he was happy that she found someone who would stay in Ordon and live a simple life with her. Simplicity was just not something the wolf-man would have again, he knew, and Fado was only three years older than Ilia. They would be happy. Not to mention it would take a lot of awkwardness out of his friendship with her. Ultimately it was a great thing, but she was his first love nonetheless, and gone so recently. Shouldn't he hurt more than he was? Shouldn't he be more disappointed than he was? Anything but that vague sense of inevitability that so plagued his every move since he first became the Divine Beast. Everything in life could not be predestined. His own choices had to matter for something!

What about Midna? They had fought side by side and shed blood together, their lives and destinies interwoven by circumstance and destiny. She had teased him and guided him, he had protected her and helped soften her heart towards the world. He didn't know if his feelings for her had been love, but they were close friends at least. Link hadn't thought about her much since Zelda came into his life. Should he be mourning Midna more than he was? He would never be with her again, teasing and fighting and defending the innocent. It was so lonely to fight alone, and even though he was surrounded by people at all times of the day the Ordonian shepherd was still quite alone.

Across his memory a moment played that seemed so long ago, as if evidence in a courtroom courtesy of his more primal self. He leaned across the table at his first meeting with the princess, soft light making her eyes sparkle and her dress look so soft, whispering that neither of them were alone anymore. Chosen by destiny, bound through time, wasn't that true? Zelda was with him. Even when they didn't see each other for extended periods of time, it felt as if she were always near. Did that not count as company and love?

Link rolled over onto his side. Exhaustion finally flooded his limbs and his aching heart. "It doesn't matter," he said to himself, as if arguing with the Divine Beast inside of him that pressed his heart to love her as they did. Memory of their emotions swirled within his breast still, and he grit his teeth against them. "I need to know for myself what I am made of before I can give her anything!" he argued. "I will not give her something broken and divided because you want me to. I will decide for myself what I feel." The spirit of the divine beast backed down, fading to almost nothingness. There was no one left on that cot in the General's tent but Link, shepherd from Ordon. At least for one moment the wolf ravenous for the blood and love it was made for had backed down. The desert heat was rising, warming the tent's air like a sauna. Link's fingers rubbed the wolf stone's pouch, his body limp, and closed his eyes. In the surreal moment between sleep and wakefulness, the image of a gentle golden form with striking blue eyes curled warm against his chest floated in the forefront of a mind that was all his own, no parts beast. Looming behind her was a strange cloud of darkness and shadow in which faces and memories swirled. Nothing was ever quite as simple as it seemed.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

As soon as the hero rode away on his mighty steed, Zelda's shoulders slumped. It was one matter to keep up an image of faith and health for his sake, as she did for her people, but when the scrutinizing eyes of the world weren't watching her every breath to make sure she was righteous, the Princess of Hyrule felt the weight of her station. With a strangled sigh and heavy eyes, she slid off the golden right glove and held her arm in front of her. The black marks were still there, clear finger indentations. The skin in those five long ruts was dead, flaking on the edges where it met with healthy skin. Pain coursed through her arm from the gouges like a thousand insect bites, a pain Zelda had been ignoring in the presence of Death and Link. Now, in this suspended moment, the young princess held the arm to her breast and rubbed the skin, clenching her teeth against the torturous throbbing. She willed the marks to just fade and the pain to dissipate with the grayish, dead skin, but it did not. When her eyes opened the gray marks were still there, as if mocking her and the "strength" she pretended to possess with an excruciating laughter. Would she be marked for the rest of her life by the grasp of death? What would she tell her people—or, as the case would be, how could she hide it from her people?

Perhaps the Goddesses provided the garments she wore to display their hand on her life to those she would soon face, but also as a private message to her. It was soft and elegant, almost Greek-like in draping design, and gave her body an appearance of ferocity, strength, and unparalleled beauty—all very objective impressions she would need when facing the Sheikah perhaps, but the gloves tickled her mind. They hid the evidence of her moment of weakness. Through foolishness of heart and a self-centered pride, her resolve had been compromised by darkness, and her life almost given to death. _Holder of wisdom_, she thought with a bitter chuckle. _I am a human fool, marked by death. The goddesses, in their wisdom, did not remove the pain from me to remind me that it is not I who am wise, but them. That it is not by my might I live and thrive, but by theirs. My life is not my own…it has been bought and paid for by those golden ones who rescued my person from death, and my land from twilight. In my frailty, my weakness, they will be my strength. _Her heart resigned itself to this, and she murmured a prayer for forgiveness as she slid her wounded arm back into the shimmering glove. The pain still throbbed like a persistent migraine at the back of her mind, but she blocked it out and shook her head. She would trust the goddess no matter what happened, and if they allowed her to have this thorn in her flesh, then she would bear it humbly.

It took some struggle for the princess to climb up the ledge to the mouth of the tunnel that led to the Sheikah city in her dress. Once up, she smoothed out her hair and dress, touched her right arm with the fingertips of her left hand, then strode forward with her head held high and her face bearing such a stern expression it seemed to have been carved of stone—a fierce goddess chiseled of marble and unwavering. It did not matter if her young maiden's heart trembled. Zelda was royalty, and her will would be enacted upon this land and these people. Darkness would flee so that healthy shadows could live, just as they had in the Land of Death.

They were watching her. Darkness pressed in upon her as she exited the tunnel into the decrepit city. The shadows writhed and whispered around her. She did not falter or trip—only raised her chin a little higher and hardened her eyes like chiseled sapphires set in her head. Zelda could not see the Sheikah warriors flanking her as she made her way to the hut that had been Impaz's home, but she felt the darkness in their souls in a way she never had before. It was as if her brush with Darkness in the Land of Death had made her more sensitive to its presence in the world; or perhaps she had always been aware of it, but its presence in the world was stronger than before. Dread knocked at her heart and the back of her mind. If Darkness had escaped the Land of the Dead and entered fully into the world of the living, terrible things were bound to unfold.

Princess Zelda did not have time to contemplate this line of dangerous thought, however, as she neared the hut and four Sheikah slithered out of the shadows. They leapt forward as quick as a breath and grabbed her arms. They did not have to jerk her, however, for she let them lead her without struggle. Into the hut, through the shimmering box illusion, and down into the dark cavern with its ominous blue glow they led her. She could not see the series of small pathways and maze-like passages they led her through, for her Sheikah sight had been taken away when the Goddesses allowed the Spirit of the Princess of Destiny to take over her body, but the Sheikah thankfully did not let her stumble or wander.

They soon exited a series of particularly thin, complicated tunnels into a cavern that held a large mansion of stone. It was lit with blue fire like the rest of the Sheikah City, but also a green fire and a violet fire. On the porch waiting with hands on her hips, silver hair wound in a bun at the back of her head, was Teela with a smirk on her face that Zelda could feel more than she could see.

"Welcome to my home, Princess," the Sheikah sneered. "It is newly constructed, and you are my first visitor. Bring her inside," she said to the Sheikah guards holding her. "I wish to speak with her in private before we take her before the people."

The guards nodded and tugged her forward with hands a little rougher than they had been. Zelda pursed her lips and held herself with as much dignity as she could muster while they dragged her through the dark house. She could not see most of it—just shadows and impressions of furniture and rooms, but they soon brought her into a dining room lit by candles with normal fires. There was a black table in the middle ringed by chairs made of a black wood. It sat on a rug that bore a silver pattern. There were three doors that led off the good-sized room, including the one she entered through with the four guards, and two that led off in the opposite direction. The Sheikah guards sat her down in a large chair at one end of the rectangular table, then left as quickly and silently as they had appeared.

While she waited in the silence of the black and silver room, Zelda did mind exercises to keep her from worry, fear, or stress. Distressed emotions only inhibited one in the face of danger or darkness, and she would need her mind sharp and perceptive when Teela arrived. Whatever the twisted Sheikah woman had planned, Zelda would be mentally prepared to meet the challenge.

A door that led deeper into the mansion swung open, emitting Letaln into the room. Teela's placid husband was dressed in a black and silver uniform with a dramatic black cape overtop, his long silver hair pulled back in a ponytail. He was armed to the teeth, Zelda was sure, but he hid his weaponry well. "Princess," he said with a bow, then took a seat next to the large chair at the other end of the table.

"What is this fascination with black, Letaln," the princess said in the way of conversation. "Surely the Sheikah like colors other than black and silver."

The look his glowing red eyes shot her was heavy and bored. "They do," he drawled, "but Teela and I do not. Black is perfectly suitable to our lifestyle."

"Hm," Zelda said. "Darkness for a couple who have made themselves slaves to it and abandoned their people's good shadow nature. Very appropriate."

This comment made the male warrior actually turn a full glare on her. "Do not speak of things you do not understand, light-dweller." He said.

Zelda folded her fingers on the table in front of her, face looking perfectly calm and untroubled. "I understand perfectly, Letaln, do not insult my intelligence. I see the darkness inside of your wife and your followers like a living creature. It's in your eyes, whispering lies that pollute you and deprive you of the light that makes the Sheikah what they are." Her blue gaze met his red one, so level and steady that he had to look away from her. The smile that slipped onto her face was grim and full of remorse. "I regret what has happened to your people, dear Sheikah, for this darkness is not your way, and in your heart you know that. I ask you to trust the light, to trust me."

Letaln did not look at her or respond. He glared at the table as if blaming it for some tribulation in his heart and in his people. Before the princess could probe further this beacon of hope in a dark situation, the door she had come through swung open. Teela marched into the room, followed by a line of older Sheikah who bore much power and sway within the tribe. They all took a seat around the table, and Teela strode to the large chair at the opposite end from Zelda. She wore a long black and red robe that swished the floor in a grand manner when she sat down. Letaln's face was blank again, all evidence of the frustration Zelda had glimpsed only a moment before gone.

"Princess Zelda of Hyrule, I'm sure you recognize these as the elders of our tribe. You are well studied I am told," Teela said. Zelda nodded to them out of respect, pointedly not nodding to Teela. The Sheikah woman's smirk slid back onto her face. "I am happy to see that you're alive. Did the shadow temple please you, Princess?"

Zelda did not respond. Indeed, it was almost as if she had not heard.

Teela tried again. "What happened in the temple? Did you have any experiences you would like to share?"

Zelda blinked, but did not speak. The elder Sheikah around the table murmured to each other, and Teela's face twisted with frustration. Her red eyes flashed. "Speak, Princess! I order you to speak!"

Not a word came from the princess's mouth. She would not give Teela the honor of recognizing her presence. The murmuring of the other Sheikah rose in alarm—they knew that this was an official protocol laid forth in Hylian law. By doing this, the Princess signaled that as the acting monarch of Hyrule she was cutting off all alliances with Teela and her followers. They might as well be dead for all Zelda would acknowledge their presence. Teela curled her hands into fists and slammed the table, growling in frustration.

A small Sheikah with kind eyes who had taken a seat right next to Zelda leaned toward the princess. "Your Highness," she said in a soft voice laced with respect, "please do not cut you're your alliance with the entire Sheikah tribe, I beg you. Despite what Teela may have led you to believe, many of us bear you no ill-will or disrespect."

"Elder Kishla!" Teela snarled. "Do you speak against me, as the Matriarch of this tribe? You do understand that going against me means exile from the Sheikah Tribe?"

Kishla answered with a note of defiance in her kind voice, "a leader is to represent her people. You represent only yourself. My family and the families I oversee will not let you start a war with Hyrule. They have asked me to voice our support of Her Majesty," she paused, then continued in a quieter voice, "at any cost."

As if emboldened by Kishla's pronunciation, over half of the elders gathered started voicing their support of the Crown of Hyrule as well. Zelda allowed herself to smile the littlest bit, and Teela's expression grew more and more frustrated.

"Kishla, is it?" Zelda addressed the Sheikah elder to her right. There was a small sigh in the room, relieved that the princess had decided not to cut alliance with the entire tribe. The Sheikah nodded her head. "Though I am schooled in Sheikah history, I am unaware of some of your people's politics. Is there a law that dictates what should be done in the case of an unjust leader?"

Teela stood up, eyes narrowing. "This is treason, and this woman is merely masquerading as a benevolent ruler to disguise her selfish ambitions, to the downfall of the entire country. I refuse to support tyranny."

Kishla cleared her throat. "Yes, your Highness. We are a matriarchal people, and the tribal leaders are always female. In the case of at least a 70% majority in opposition to the current Matriarch, it is determined that she is not representing the whole tribe's wishes. The next oldest remaining Sheikah will take up leadership, at the approval of the people, and the unjust leader and her followers have a choice to either change their ways and follow the new matriarch, or be exiled."

Zelda nodded, brushing back a loose strand of auburn hair with a glittering gloved hand. "Thank you Kishla. Let us gather the people and take a vote, then, to determine who is in the wrong today, and therefore who will be exiled from the Sheikah tribe."

"You do not have the authority to demand this, Hyrulian Tyrant!" Teela shouted, needles appearing in her fingers.

"I second the motion," Kishla declared, standing as well. The others who voiced their loyalty to Zelda also backed up the motion and stood. Teela's shoulders slumped, but she acquiesced, although still glaring daggers at Zelda, who continued to act as if Teela was not in the room at all. A couple Sheikah stationed in the room as guards left to call the gathering in the main cavern. Kishla bowed to Zelda and held out her hand to help the princess stand.

"Thank you, dear Sheikah friend," Zelda said, taking the proffered hand and inclining her head.

"It is my pleasure, princess," said the elder woman. "My people and I are mortified at what Teela has put you through."

Upon standing, Zelda discovered that Kishla was almost a full head shorter than herself, with graying blond hair and a blue and white Sheikah uniform. She placed her hands on the elder woman's shoulders and smiled, eyes meeting eyes. "We will talk more about this later, but know that your loyalty in this room today has been a great service to the Crown of Hyrule that I will not forget."

Kishla bowed, and Zelda exited the room with her head held high. The other Sheikah went behind her, Kishla and one other close by to help guide the princess, who they knew couldn't see in the dark.

The cavern in front of Teela and Letaln's mansion was filling up with Sheikah. When they ran out of standing room, the children leapt onto their parent's shoulders, and then they simply started scaling the walls like so many spiders. Finally, after what seemed to be a half hour, the flow of people stopped. Zelda wished that she could see more than their silhouettes so that she could search the room for Ikal. Where was her good friend? Had she not escaped the temple? Before worry could invade on her mind, Zelda cut off all thoughts of her Sheikah sister and focused on the event taking place.

Teela stood on the edge of the porch in front of the procession. Though her expression was bitter, as if speaking what she had to speak was like swallowing poison, she held up her hands and said what she had to. "An intervention has been called for by Kishla, and supported by over half the other Sheikah elders. Your vote on this matter is required: do the Sheikah follow the Hyrulian Princess, Zelda Nohansen Harkine, despite her treachery and betrayal of our tribe? Despite her tyranny? I, Matriarch of this tribe, and my followers will neither follow her nor support her. It is your decision—choose wisely."

Teela stepped to the right side of the porch. Kishla stepped to the left. In like manner, all of the other elders who supported Kishla's movement and Zelda herself went to the left side of the porch, and those who supported Teela drifted to the right. In the larger cavern, the rest of the Sheikah population hesitated for a moment, but soon acted likewise.

If the shadow silhouettes of the people gathered gave any indication, they had clearly won. The band following Teela turned out to be perhaps 20% of the population, but the other 80% gave their support Zelda by not only standing on the left side, but also dropping to their knees, or bowing their heads if they were on the walls. Princess Zelda covered her heart with her hands and bowed her head in gratitude.

"Letaln?" Teela's voice sounded small and startled. Zelda looked up, and in the glow of multi-colored fires on the porch she could see Teela's husband standing the middle. His lined face was grave, strong shoulders stooped.

"Teela…this way of selfishness that has taken over our lives is not the Sheikah way. This mansion, our clothes…surely, my love, you can see that the darkness of the temple overtook us and moved us away from who we are," he held out his hand to Teela, eyes imploring her. She did not move or speak, but clutched her hands over her heart as if it were going to jump out of her chest. "Please, Tee…" Letaln whispered, all the love in the world seeping into his voice. "Could you not feel the darkness leave the Shadow Temple soon after the princess went inside? We sent her in to test the purity of her heart and to teach her our past…instead, she delivered us from Death, and freed us from Darkness' tyranny. She has delivered us…no Sheikah has ever done that. No monarch had ever cared enough about us to try. Surely…surely you can feel it…the clean shadows…surely…" his voice shook with tears, his hand suspended in the air toward his wife, but she did not move. Her eyes hardened, her true age showing on her face, and her hands fell to her side.

"I cannot support her," Teela said, backing away. "I will not…and if you will not follow me, Let, then I am afraid I cannot follow you."

"No, Teela, please see reason! Please…don't do this…" Letaln's body began to shake, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Although tears fell down Teela's face as well, they were from angry eyes, and slid over a hard face. She took their wedding ring off of her finger and placed it in his outstretched hand, then wiped the tears off of her face and turned her back on her husband. He dropped to his knees.

"The Sheikah have spoken," Teela said, bowing her head. "I will not give my loyalty to this incompetent, tyrant princess, and therefore I choose exile. All who follow me, make your decision: come with me, or follow her. It is your choice." She turned her back and disappeared into the mansion. A few of Teela's Sheikah crossed over to the other side. The others started going back to their own houses to pack, like they assumed Teela was doing.

When they had left, the remaining Sheikah turned to the platform. The other elders looked at Kishla and touched their respective eye symbols. "We recognize Kishla of the Sheikah as the next in line for Matriarch. It is your duty as a Sheikah to accept this responsibility, and always voice the opinion of the Sheikah Tribe as a whole."

Kishla bowed her head, touching her own eye symbol. "I accept," she said, then turned to the people in the cavern. "Teela and her followers are officially exiled from the Sheikah Tribe. They may be of our race, but they are no longer Sheikah in our eyes. When they leave the cavern they may never return, and none of us will look on them. We will close our eyes when they pass, so they may never see the holy red eye of the Sheikah again. May their eyes be consumed by the Darkness to which they have committed their lives. I declare a period of grieving for them starting tonight, for they have passed into the Land of the Dead to us."

Letaln was weeping on the ground, clutching Teela's wedding ring to his chest. Zelda's heart broke for him—for them all, as sobbing could be heard in the cavern. As far as the Sheikah were concerned, their brothers and sisters leaving tonight were dead.

The Sheikah people began filing out of the cavern. The elders all pledged their loyalty to Zelda officially, then left as well. Kishla was talking with them and some other people a few meters off, working out official details and meetings that would need to be done. Zelda and Letaln were the only ones on the porch. Heart aching, the princess kneeled next to the Sheikah man and placed a tender hand on his shoulder, but did not speak.

For a while he just continued to cry, but then he covered her hand with his own and raised a tear-stained face to look at her. "Princess, my wife has died to me tonight because of you. I give my unwavering loyalty to you. Please forgive my treachery, and please…please take care of my people. If it wasn't for what you did in the Temple—" his voice broke. He cleared his throat and continued, "all of us could feel it in our souls. We could feel the Darkness leave the temple, and leave our souls. We are no longer were swayed by Darkness' whispers in our minds. That is why we follow you now. Because the Shadow Temple, and the Shadow Tribe, has been cleaned by whatever it was you did. Do not hold our treachery against us…we thought we were acting in the best interest of Hyrule. We honestly did."

Zelda bowed her head. "Thank you, Letaln. You and your people have sacrificed so much today to honor me and the Crown of Hyrule. I cannot guarantee you immediate pardon, but know that all that you and the rest of the Sheikah have done today will not be forgotten or taken lightly, and that I will take good care of you all."

Letaln sniffed and nodded, slumping back against the stone panels of the house. Just then the door opened and Teela, followed by a couple of her followers, walked out with packs on. The overthrown Sheikah Matriarch paused on the porch, looking down at her husband. He closed his eyes and turned his face away. A grieved look passed over her face, and Teela reached down and tenderly stroked his cheek. Despite himself, he leaned his face into her hand and touched her booted foot as if silently begging her to change her mind. She released his face and stepped away from his touch. Letaln's sobs started anew.

Teela clenched her hands into fists and turned a death glare on Zelda. The princess looked her straight in the face with defiance and pride, stifling her urge to gasp when she saw their eyes. No longer were Teela and her follower's eyes a glowing red—they were a bruise-colored violet rimmed by what appeared to be a black, shadowy color. In those depths, the Princess of Destiny could see nothing but pure Darkness. It was the same Darkness she had fought against in the Shadow Temple. By denying light, the Sheikah traitors had given themselves over wholly to the Darkness that had so clouded their minds. Teela was the first to look away from their staring content, leading her guards down the porch steps and out of the cavern. Kishla and the other elders closed their eyes and looked away when they passed. Letaln stared at the ring in his hands with a blank expression, still as stone.

Taking a shaky breath, Zelda stood up and felt her way down the steps. She reached out her hands, furrowing her brow in an effort to figure out what shadow was what. Suddenly there was a pair of female hands taking her own, the softness of their touch familiar to the princess.

"Ikal!" she gasped, forgetting her royal composure all at once and throwing herself at the red-haired Sheikah. "Oh, Ika! Where have you been? I nearly died of worry over you!"

Ikal wrapped her arms around the princess's torso and held on with all her might, clenching her red eyes shut as tight as she could. "I could say the same about you, Zel. You're alive!"

"I have so much to tell you," Zelda murmured. "But where were you? Why have I not seen you until just now?"

"I am not an elder, and I am not pure-blood, so I cannot approach the elders when they're having an official meeting or anything like that. Since you were with them, I couldn't approach you until they were done."

"Not pure blood?" Zelda asked, pulling back and looking at her friend in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Ikal bit her lip. "My father…he's part Hylian, from a red-haired Hylian family on his mother's side. That's why I'm the only Sheikah with red hair. My mother is pure blood, and my grandfather on my father's side was pure blood, so I'm only one fourth Hylian, but it's enough to make me…different." She let go of Zelda and crossed her arms over her chest. "But I'm the best there is, so pure blood or no I get to be your guardian."

Zelda couldn't help but laugh. "You sound like a defiant twelve-year-old, my Sheikah sister! But I am glad that they chose you. Endlessly."

"And so are we," said Matriarch Kishla, turning from her conversations to pat Ikal's back fondly. "I don't care about pure-blood, Ikal, and it was wrong of Teela to call you an Impure. Please accept our apology for what we let her put you through."

Ikal touched her eye symbol and bowed. "Of course, Elder Kishla. Thank you."

"Kishla," Zelda said, turning to the blond Sheikah, "I am curious—what happened to their eyes? Why are they no longer red?"

Kishla sighed. "It is because we as a tribe exiled them. They have chosen Darkness, which is ever our struggle as a shadow clan, and therefore we must purge them from us. This spiritual event causes a chemical reaction in them, and the darkness within them becomes evident in their eye color. They will never see the red of the Sheikah's Eyes ever again."

Zelda placed a hand over her heart. "I am sorry that your people had to go through such terrible things on my account," she said.

Kishla shook her head. "It is us who must ask your forgiveness. We have much to ask you and to discuss with you, Princess. This can wait for later, however, as I suspect you and our sister Ikal are hungry and tired. I will leave you to her capable care. Call on me when you are ready to meet with the elders and myself."

"Thank you, Kishla, for everything. I will certainly call on you as soon as possible." She bowed, Kishla returned the motion, and then they parted.

Ikal placed one hand on Zelda's back and took the other hand in her own. "Mind if I just lead you back to your house without changing your eyes again? I'm too tired to perform the magic."

Zelda squeezed Ikal's hand. "That's fine. Thank you…"

As Princess Zelda and her Sheikah guardian exited the cavern, Kishla and the elders said their farewells and parted ways to attend to their respective duties. On the porch of the mansion, Letaln was left alone staring at the wedding ring. His grieving heart shattered inside of him; he seemed devoid of any emotion, except for what was indicated by the moist shimmer in his eyes, and the hand he kept placed on his cheek where his wife's warmth still lingered. The Darkness had indeed killed the gentle woman he had married, he decided. She was dead, and only a cheap imitation of her now walked the earth. Still, his heart longed for her anyway, and when he closed his eyes he saw memories of happier days behind his eyelids.

**Author's Note**:

This one takes the cake—33 pages in word, and therefore new longest chapter. It took special care with it, as there are a lot of delicate details happening in this chapter. I hope you read it closely and slowly, to catch everything. There is a lot going on underneath the surface. I'm not 100% happy with it, but as happy as I'm ever going to be, so here you are.

Thanks to Rask Vann, Steben, and Luigi Rocsz for their sharp eyes and great critical reviews. This story is better because of them (and there are more of you from past chapters, but I can't remember your names right now…). Thanks also to everyone who reviews with such great support and encouragement. I am able to continue because of you.

I must give props to Celeborn00—there's a link to his story Forgotten Demons in my favorites, and you should read it. His version of Link has greatly inspired my own. Also Ingie's fanfiction Fortitude is wonderful and a great source of inspiration.

I could go on with some hilarious recent stories from my personal life, but I won't. Let's just say it's been fun. Epic adventures. Thanks for reading, and please review! Until the next chapter,

_~The Wolfess_

P.S. I made fliers! Artwork done by me, new synopsis, and great for advertising your favorite story ever (lol, ;D) or for putting up as a background for your computer. Go to my DeviantArt page to see it. There are two versions. The link is on my profile here on ff-net.


	23. Desperate and Raving

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Desperate and Raving**

King Bulbin sat on a throne carved out of a sandstone wall in the newly rebuilt fortress between the open desert where the Hylian Army was camped and the Arbiter's Grounds. The Bulbins' wooden structures had been burnt down during the war in an attempt to kill the hero, Link, but the wooden structures were easily reconstructed and draped with desert cloth died red and orange by a powder-based dye made from the blood of Sand Leeches. King Bulbin prided himself on the quality of the fabrics, decorating his sandstone throne with them. They draped off of a hook in the wall above his head, swooping on either side of the throne to large wooden posts stuck in the ground on either side. The fabric slid down the posts and fell in a large blood-like pool at the feet of the throne. Just to the outsides of those posts were two identical posts, each bearing the skull of a disobedient Bulbin soldier. Mounted on the walls were large boar skulls decorated with feathers and various kinds of weaponry.

This was the throne room of a barbarian war-king, a bully and a tyrant who ruled his people through fear and cruelty. His people cowered before him and moved where he commanded. He bowed to no one—at least until the Evil King showed up, and after him this monstrous Hylian boy the soldiers called "General". This series of defeats were problematic for a war-king. Should his people perceive him as weak enough to be overthrown he would lose all power over them. Power was the one thing that King Bulbin would not lose, and therefore weakness and submission were not viable options in his mind.

King Bulbin was sitting on his throne mulling this situation over in his mind when the guards stationed outside the archway to his throne room blocked the entrance of someone outside, only to be shoved aside like desert rats with much yelling and clamor. The red tent flaps were thrown open, revealing the twisted, angry face of the General of Hyrule. He entered alone with golden armor that glinted in the late evening sun. The light refracting off of it shimmered in King Bulbin's small black eyes, and he raised his hand to block it. A streak of still-wet blood trickled down the golden chest plates. The General's eyes seemed to follow King Bulbin's gaze, and a grin spread over his face.

"A few of your soldiers thought me weakened," Link said, sliding his fingertips through the hot red liquid and wiping it off on the wall near the archway. "I'm afraid I had to squash any such notion. You understand, I'm sure, King Bulbin." The beast king shook, clenching his hands and jaw, but merely nodded. He did understand—and this boy understood more than was acceptable. At this rate none of his remaining soldiers would think highly of the king who could not protect them. "I hear you have been giving my officers problems, King," Link continued, walking toward the throne with his shoulders hunched and his knees bent.

Observing the General's movements and demeanor, King Bulbin found himself wondering the same thing as his men: was this truly a Hylian man, or some evil god come to punish them for their weakness and domesticity? Had he allowed his people to soften and would now pay the price for weakness? _Lupinaikik Kain_ was his people's word for the Demon God of Vengeance, a figure from their old legends often depicted as a large Bulbin with the arms and legs of a man and the head of a desert wolf. It was said that he taught them the ways of blood, war, and ruthlessness, and he would come to destroy their race if they ever deviated from his ways. Some of the younger Bulbins said that this Hyrulian General was Lupinaikik Kain incarnate. They said he came to punish them. If this was true then King Bulbin could not show weakness before this man and fail the test. If he submitted his race would end. It was his duty as King of the Bulbins not to bow or bend before Lupinaikik Kain.

"Why have you been difficult, King Bulbin?" Link said. "I have defeated you countless times in hand to hand combat, and Hyrule has defeated you in field combat. Further resistance will only result in death. Submit to Hyrule's authority or be destroyed." The Hylian's eyes glinted like the edge of a sword. The fingers of his left hand rested on a dagger on his belt, while his right hand was concealed in a pouch dangling from his waist.

King Bulbin swallowed, threw his head back, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I am King of the Bulbins. We are a mighty people. We do not follow or submit. We are strong."

Link strode closer, more and more beastlike with every step. He walked right up to King Bulbin's throne and got in the large green creature's face. "I don't think you understand me," Link growled. "Submit or die."

All of the fat and muscle in King Bulbin's body shook. He clenched his jaw shut and shook his head. The Hylian general began to shake as well, but from a rather different emotion. The pupils of his blue eyes shrunk, his lips pulled back over his teeth, and his muscles stretched taunt over his bones. The sandstone throne's arms began to crumble under the grip of Link's hands. He grabbed King Bulbin by the horns and roared in his face, simultaneously using a godly strength to haul the King up from his throne. King Bulbin swung his large arms, but the demon god just ducked under his swings and thrust his shoulder into the King's stomach. Link plowed the large creature into the nearest wall, cracking the sandstone. King Bulbin swung again. Link dodged and plowed his fist into the green monster's jaw at such an angle and speed that it dislocated. King Bulbin roared out in pain, lifting a hand to cover the hurt jaw, but Link did not pause. He punched again, this time breaking the jaw bone, and then Link rammed his knee into King Bulbin's stomach several times. The King was just too large and slow to fight this beastly god of vengeance wailing away with a battle-lust seemingly unhindered by social conscience.

"Forgive me Lupinaikik Kain!" King Bulbin said, falling to his knees and lifting his hands to cover his face. "Please!" he begged, curling his body to try and shield himself from Link's onslaught. "Wait!"

Link paused and blinked. Panting and trembling, the general backed away a few steps.

"Please do not destroy my people because I am weak," King Bulbin continued. "Destroy me for my weakness Lupinaikik Kain, but please leave my people be…they are ruthless and unforgiving, just as you commanded."

Link's eyes seemed to clear and his brow furrowed. "What are you calling me?" he asked.

King Bulbin bowed his head. "The people say that you are our god, Lupinaikik Kain, or his messenger. He taught us everything we know, and his only requirement is that we are never weak or merciful—we are his blood-thirsty, battle-hungry children. We have betrayed your commands, and so you have come to destroy us."

Link thought for a moment, taking deep breaths and rubbing the outside of the pouch he had his hand in earlier. "Well yes, I am his…messenger," Link said. "Yes, and he has seen your weakness. He is very displeased." King Bulbin shook a little harder, shaking his large head side to side while blood from his jaw began to pool in the sand. "He has decided to bring in his most beloved children, the Hylians, to teach you. I am living among them, and if you betray the wishes of Lupinaikik Kain and do not submit to Hyrule's authority then I will return with all the power of Lupinaikik Kain and destroy every last one of you. Do you understand?" King Bulbin nodded. Link reached into a back pouch and pulled out a rolled up parchment. "Sign the loyalty agreement," he demanded. "In blood. Your people and this desert pay homage to Hyrule now."

King Bulbin hesitated for only a moment, and then he dipped one pointy yellow fingernail in the pool of blood from his jaw while Link rolled out the parchment. King Bulbin marked the parchment with his bloody fingernail. Link looked at it and nodded.

"Fine then," he said, "the deal is done. We will leave your lands in the morning. I hear that my captains have already explained the details of the treaty to you, so there is no need for me to repeat them. Goodbye King." Link walked toward the door, pausing only to look back and add, "I'll be keeping a close eye on you and your people. Do not fail in your loyalty." General Link left, the red curtain at the entrance swaying behind him. King Bulbin picked himself off the floor and leaned against the wall, wondering how he would save his reputation after this.

!

"Well?" asked Captain Volk when Link returned from the throne room. "Did he sign?"

Link nodded and laid the parchment on the table. All of the captains gathered bent over to see. "Careful," Link said, "it's still drying. He signed in his own blood."

Their eyes widened with as much horror as amazement. "How did you manage this?"

Link smiled, stroking the pouch on his belt where the wolf stone slept. "You just have to employee the right tactics with these creatures." He shrugged, then turned toward the tent flap. "Ready the men. We leave for Hyrule Castle Town in the morning."

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Meanwhile, Princess Zelda was deep in negotiations with the Sheikah. With new leadership and after all the events that had passed since the Twilight War began, a new treaty had to be drawn up from scratch. Zelda and the Council of Elders had been negotiating for four days since her return to the caverns and Teela's "impeachment". Only now were they seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

"The next item is the Sheikah tradition of sending a choice warrior to guard the royal family. Ikal was almost killed in that war, and if our race really had been slaughtered what would have become of us? How will Hyrule protect the Sheikah, as an endangered race, from extinction?" said Elder Kishla, newest Matriarch of the Sheikah tribe. Zelda looked over the meeting notes the night before and was prepared for this question. Shuffling through her mental checklist, she laced her fingers together on the stone table in the meeting hall.

"Before this visit the Sheikah tribe has kept Hyrule's monarchy in the dark concerning your people's ways and true numbers. Though Teela did perform many crimes, her heinous actions have provided me with an understanding of your people that has never been afforded a royal in the entire history of our people, excluding perhaps the Princess of Destiny herself. Now that I understand where your people live, some of the most vulnerable entrances, and the nature of shadow itself and its relation with the Sheikah, I will be better prepared to send warning to the Sheikah warriors above land to retreat to their most secure and defensible underground caverns in the case of an invasion. If all else fails, I will know how to position Hyrule's army in such a way that it could truly protect these halls. I will write the necessary details into the treaty and lay these statements down as law to govern future monarchs in their dealings with your honorable people. My inquiry for this Council is how much I am permitted to reveal to future generations of royalty? Your ways are to be shrouded in mystery. I know this full well and am determined not to reveal more than is absolutely necessary for your protection."

Kishla, Zelda, and the Council had launched into a discussion of what "absolutely necessary" really meant when a Sheikah messenger slipped in, whispered something in Kishla's ear, and disappeared. A troubled look appeared on the Matriarch's face, and she held up a two fingers for silence. When the current debate fell quiet she spoke in a calm voice.

"My scouts have informed us that there is something very strange happening in Hyrule," Kishla said. "A kind of craze seems to have come upon the people. My informants fear foul play by means of black magic, but they know not of what sort. They are searching for the cause as we speak."

Zelda's brow furrowed, and she stood to her feet. "If you will pardon me, good Sheikah sisters, I fear I must leave at once."

The Sheikah Council stood with her and bowed. "We understand," Kishla said, and a murmur of agreement rippled around the table. Zelda returned their bow, respectful but still authoritative, and hurried out of the chamber.

Ikal was already waiting outside with Zelda's travel belongings in hand. "I assume the scouts filled you in on what they found?" Zelda said, a worried note in her voice.

Ikal nodded. "I immediately gathered your things. There are horses outside to make our travel quicker."

"Then let's not delay," Zelda said. The two women sprinted toward the nearest exit and out of the Sheikah caverns toward Hyrule.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Over the course of the last few months between the start of winter and Durtain's introduction of Black Apples the market in Castle Town underwent many changes. At first it was filled with humble but healthy fall crops and wares, bustling with chatter and the exchange of goods and rupees. As fall neared its end and winter began, the effects of the poor harvest began to show themselves in the market. Vendors offered fewer and fewer varieties of foods and other wares. Fewer people were seen in the market because they were not able to earn enough rupees to spend as much as they once could, and therefore the vendors in turn didn't make their normal living and didn't spend as much money or hire as many workers as they once did.

This vicious cycle of recession took its toll. By the end of winter, when Count Durtain and his coconspirators left for the mountains, the market looked like a ghost town. The only wares being sold were a few tools, potatoes, rice, and carrots, as well as some wheat for bread and the Gorons' hot spring water. The underground market was seeing a rise in business, as were the soldiers in charge of civil obedience—taking care of general crime in the city and carrying out just punishments.

Count Durtain's Black Apples changed everything.

It had been roughly three weeks since Durtain returned from the mountains and spread his dark seeds. The trees grew at unnatural rates in the strategic locations Durtain started them in. The farmers on the outskirts soon began sharing the seeds with their neighbors and starting large harvests. The people of Ordon took to them like candy and started using them to feed their quite gaunt-looking goats and cows. Malo started selling them in his Malo-Marts all over Hyrule, and the bar tender in Kakariko started making "hard apple cider" out of the black apples, selling this alcoholic drink almost exclusively in his bar. Others who had begun to settle in Kakariko dropped their old trades in favor of making every possible object that could help with the processing of Black Apples—apple presses, baking utensils of every kind, apple cutters, apple peelers, apple corers, and more. The market in Castle Town was bursting with the black fruits and any item that pertained to them. The aristocracy was hailing the Black Apples as a blessing from the goddesses and demanded that the best Black Apple chefs in Hyrule make all of their food exclusively from them. Whispers spread through the land calling Count Durtain the Savior of Hyrule.

A middle-aged man called Lempf spent his whole life in the streets of Castle Town. His parents had been druggies, practically living outside the houses selling illegal drugs in Shmuck Shack Alley. His mother earned a living in the Red Pot houses selling her body, while his father wasted most of the money on drugs and alcohol. A rough life full of starvation, drugs, and thievery had taken their toll on Lempf's body. His back was bowed, his skin pale and sickly looking, and his eyes were large and blood-shot in his skull. Skin hung from his skeleton, seeming to have little fat or muscle to flesh him out. For all appearances he looked very much like a redead of legends, or a Stalfols at the brink of the transition from humanity to monstrosity. For a starving man like Lempf with a life of hardship and addiction, the black apples were his only hope of seeing tomorrow. They were becoming so plentiful that vendors, aristocracy, and other passers began to just give him apples for free. Their sweet black juices coated his raw throat, the black meat of the apple filling his empty, distended belly. Fullness was a new and strange feeling for Lempf.

Like most of Hyrule's Apple-Eating citizens, a mist seemed to form in his mind upon his first sweet mouthful. It spread through every fiber of his being like life itself, a tingling electricity that made him feel invincible. He could run like never before. He could dance and spin, he could sing, he could sleep without the constant pain of starvation. He began to flesh out. Strength returned to his being. The very colors of the world around him were brighter, more vivid than he had ever seen them. All he could think about was how he would get his next apple. Stretches of time in between his consumption of black apples were torture. His body felt sick and trembled, his skin breaking out in cold sweat. Lempf would be seen curled in a corner of the ally begging for apples from everyone who passed by. Some would kick him, spit on him, or mock him. Others with generous souls would throw him a peel or a whole apple. Even a bit of apple as small as a peel would stop his suffering and put him on top of the world again.

Lempf was in between hand-outs when the princess and her personal guard rode through Castle Town's East Gate. Even here, removed from the main Market Place, the apples were so plentiful that the streets seemed almost colored black with them. Lempf didn't recognize the Princess in his apple-starved state, didn't see her shocked and confused expression, and didn't notice her lack of apples. Everyone had apples. The rich always had a handout for poor street urchin's like Lempf.

He crept up to the side of her horse, his large, blood-shot eyes trained on her and his claw-like boney hands clutching the edge of her tattered dress. "P-p-please, m-miss. Apples? Ap-p-pple for a p-p-poor urchin?"

"I am sorry," Zelda said, her confusion deepening. "I do not have any apples with me."

"M-m-money then?" Lempf persisted. "M-money for an a-a-apple?"

Zelda shook her head. "I do not have any money with me either…I am sorry." It was the truth. She had not anticipated the need for Hyrule's currency in the Sheikah city and had not brought any.

Just then a nearby passer recognized the princess and pointed to her, shouting to everyone around him "the princess! Princess Zelda has returned!" The word spread through the people, the volume of voices in the alley rising.

The soldier at the gate ran up to the side of the horse and saluted. "Your Majesty! We have been searching for you!"

"It is a long story," Zelda said, "and inappropriate to discuss in this venue. Will you call a guard to escort me to the castle? I am weary and in need of rest."

The solider nodded and ran off to a nearby street patrol. Zelda and Ikal exchanged a look, and she glanced back at the street urchin who had grabbed her dress earlier. He shrunk back from her as if she would strike him for the insolence of touching her. His eyes were frightened—but there was something else in their depths, burning just below the surface, that made the Princess frown. Accusation. What would he be accusing her of?

The guards soon arrived and circled Zelda and Ikal's horses, guiding them through the throng of people. The look on the street urchin's face lingered in Zelda's mind. She browsed the shocked faces of others they passed and was surprised to find a similar expression on their faces. A familiar darkness seemed to press upon her mind and heart, an evil force clinging in the air. Darkness had indeed crept into the world, and Zelda now feared the effects of its intrusion upon her people and the future of her country.

!

Zelda bathed and rested when she returned to the castle, demanding not to be disturbed while she took a moment to mentally and physically recuperate. While she bathed, the Council Members and Aristocracy Council gathered to question her and investigate the circumstances of her disappearance. Ikal hid in the shadows, unseen as usual, while Zelda entered the examination chamber in full royal garb and took her seat at the raised chair on the end of the long table. Before speaking she noticed the servants place large glasses of a curious black brew in front of everyone, including herself.

"Good evening, gentleman. It is good to see you all again," she said, peering at the black liquid and deciding not to drink it.

There was a murmur of agreement around the table while the men took sips of their black drinks, and the head of the Advisor Council said "it is endlessly wonderful to see your Highness in such good health after so long a disappearance. We feared you dead when the soldiers left in charge here by General Verdelupo could not find you."

Zelda frowned slightly at his specific mention of the General's choice of men to leave at the castle, taking a mental note of it for later inspection. She laced her fingers together on the tabletop, bowed her head, and began to explain.

"I feared you would come to that conclusion," she started. "I feel that I should explain the circumstances and details of my capture and subsequent release. I left on a quick trip as an ambassador to some little-known allies of Hyrule in a remote part of the kingdom. Unbeknownst to me, a military regime had taken leadership in the tribe and set a trap for my guard and I upon our arrival. They held us prisoner for questioning and had a list of demands they wished me to fulfill. While prisoner with them I was treated humanely, for the most part. The leader of new regime put me through a very difficult trial that could have taken my life, but my guard put her life on the line to stand by me during the trial, and together we survived. Impressed by our survival and disagreeing with the military regime, the people of the tribe rallied against them and cast the traitors out of their midst. They elected a new leader, and I was freed. I have been there for at least a week after this ordeal negotiating new terms with the tribe and ensuring something like this never happens again. The terms of the treaty are almost solidified, and will be put into law soon. I apologize for my lack of communication with you all, but it was quite impossible under the circumstances."

The Advisors and Aristocracy talked amongst themselves for a while, discussing this new information and considering their list of inquiries. A man designated as scribe jotted down what Zelda had said, and added the agreed upon new questions to the list. The two Councils settled down, and a member from the main Council named Rauru stood with questions in hand.

"Your Majesty," he said, "we of the Advisor Council have a list of inquiries. May I proceed with them?" Zelda inclined her head. The man bowed at the waist and began with his first question. "Before you departed on this mission you did not reveal to us the true nature of your travels. Most had no knowledge of your destination, and those that did were under the impression that you were visiting known provinces. We have no previous knowledge of this obscure tribe. Why were you not honest with us?"

Princess Zelda tilted her chin downward. She blinked a bit before answering. "Hyrule's alliance with this tribe has been kept as discrete as possible for centuries, on the request of the tribe itself. They would ally with us no other way and are a big asset to Hyrule. I did not and will not reveal more information on who they are or their whereabouts without their prior consent. It has been this way since before the Golden Age of the Princess of Destiny."

Though no one present seemed happy with the answer, they heard the note of finality in their Monarch's voice and accepted it. Count Durtain was sitting at the head of the Aristocracy Council and stood with a question for Princess Zelda. "My Princess," he said with a deep bow. Zelda inclined her head in return as signal for him to continue. "The main concern of the Aristocracy is always your Highness's wellbeing. We wonder at the wisdom of the General's choice in soldiers to leave behind to guard Hyrule in the Military's absence. He seems to have taken all the strongest with him and left Hyrule with the inexperienced, the new, and the inept. This choice, perhaps a result of inexperience, seems to have resulted in an attack on your highness's person and perhaps could have been prevented. What is your opinion on this?"

Zelda's eyes narrowed a little, but she took a moment to think over the Count's inquiry and consider his point of view. "Count," she began, "I understand the point of view of the Aristocracy and respect the concern you are showing. It is an honor for a monarch to be so protected by her Aristocracy. However, I feel the accusation against the General's decisions are unwarranted. Allow me to explain what the General and I discussed prior to the Military disembarking on the Bulbin Campaign. First, had the General left an army to go with me on my mission I would not have allowed them to come. Never in hundreds of years of alliance has this tribe done anything but protect and love the Crown. Second, the only remaining threat against Hyrule from the outside is the Bulbins, and therefore there is no need for an army to protect Hyrule from outside invaders or monsters. The very purpose of the campaign is to ensure Hyrule's complete protection from all foreseeable outside forces. The General and I thought through this very question extensively."

The Count inclined his head, while the scribe copied down this information as well. Rauru stood up again, ready with another question. "Your Majesty. Though ensuring Hyrule's protection from outside forces is noble, I wonder if this campaign was ill-timed. You know that we of the Advisor Council were hesitant to accept the General's proposition, and again we bring before you the main reason for our hesitation. The Military departed on the tail end of a hard winter, and Hyrule's economy has not been faring well. While both the General and yourself have been away, morale amongst Hyrule's Citizens has dropped drastically. The economy was in a desperate state before you left, but with the absence of their leaders and their able-bodied men the people of Hyrule suffered tremendously. They were starving. Crime has risen at an unusual rate, and we started to see death from malnutrition amongst the poorer provinces. It is the general attitude of the people, and increasingly of the Aristocracy as well, that the true motivation for the Bulbin Campaign was pride and glory, rather than a genuine interest in the wellbeing of the People of Hyrule."

A tense silence fell on the room. In the shadows, anger spread on Ikal's face. Though Zelda felt angry as well her face and body language did not betray it. The silence lingered for an uncomfortable period of time while Zelda considered her answers and the possible reactions of those gathered. Deciding upon the safest answer, she unlaced and relaced her fingers and raised her head a bit in silent conveyance of authority.

"These accusations are of a serious nature," she began. "You accuse the General and I of being prideful and self-seeking while the people of Hyrule suffer. Though I will address that, the most serious concern you levee is the state of the people in our absence. This sounds dire indeed, and my question for _you_ is why am I only now hearing of this? Prior to my departure I was led by this very Council to believe that the measures put in place by the Castle and out of the Monarchy's personal store were successful in pulling the economy up from its nose-dive. How can I address the needs of the people if I am not informed of them? What say you to this?"

The Advisor Council murmured amongst themselves, and eventually the member who had been in charge of the efforts to rescue the economy spoke up. "We, likewise, did not foresee the dramatic downturn the economy has taken. The researchers in charge of monitoring the state of the economy and predicting its future turns made grave miscalculations, and I reported to you on their word. It is our responsibility as well."

Zelda nodded once. "Indeed," she said, "and how have you handled this crisis in my absence? You were left in charge of this country while I was away. It is under _your_ watch that the economy fell again and the suffering of Hyrule's people increased."

The Council levied many excuses, but for the most part they sounded like a gaggle of clucking chickens. They had no answer. An aggravated look passed over Count Durtain's features that was so dark in nature that Princess Zelda started. She exchanged a quick and meaningful look with Ikal's invisible form in the shadows. The Count stood up and raised his voice when he spoke, full of enough brazen authority that the Advisor Council fell silent and waited for his words. Concern quickened in Zelda's heart—never had the Advisors shown so much respect and deference for anyone besides herself and her father before her. They were a prideful and powerful group of men who were under only the Monarchy in power. The Princess looked at the Count of Rashak with new interest.

"Your Council did very little, your Majesty, while they gorged on their personal stores of food and reveled in their wealth, taken primarily from citizen tax dollars," Durtain said. His eyes seemed unnaturally black, and Zelda wondered if it was a product of the lighting. "I have tried to be humble and anonymous in my charitable dealings with the poor and suffering citizens of Hyrule, such as the opening of my Orphanage, employing of the homeless and destitute on my estates, and donations to various charitable organizations. My family has not been known for its charity or good humor, and I have endeavored to change that, but discretely. I reveal it now purely for the sake of conveying my devotion to the people of Hyrule and explaining my actions during Her Highness's absence, for they were impertinent and dangerous. I feel, however, that they were necessary."

As he spoke, Durtain slipped away from his chair and started moving around the room. Everyone present seemed fixated on him, hanging on his every word. _Curiouser and curiouser,_ Zelda thought.

"I heard rumors of a mountain range unclaimed by Hyrule just South of Ordona Province," Durtain continued. "These mountains have been claimed by monsters of every kind that fled Hyrule. I wondered if amongst its dangerous crags some new resource for Hyrule's people might be found. We are, I felt and still feel, in desperate need. One evening I gathered some of my most trusted servants and left with provisions on a journey to explore the mountains. I had determined in my heart not to return unless I came with some resource for the people. Some hope and help for them amid the devastation wracking their lives. This I found in a strange and wonderful valley full of black fruit. We picked them and ate them, discovering them to be wonderful. The strange property we found the black fruit possessed was a rapid growth and reproduction. Once picking a fruit or vegetable, it was replaced by a new one in a matter of hours. Feeling this was perfect, my servants and I picked as many of the black apples as we thought would keep during our journey back and set out for Hyrule. As soon as we got here we gave the fruit to those who most desperately needed it, and it has done well. The economy is rising again. The people are fed and happy. The black apples have saved us."

Durtain circled back to his seat and sat down with a flourish of his cape. The other members of the two Councils actually applauded him, the raised glasses of what Zelda now recognized as Black Apple Juice, or some kind of Black Wine made from the apples, and toasted him. Zelda's eyebrows raised slightly in a way most would read as a sign that she was impressed, but which Ikal knew was a sign that the princess was surprised.

'Though I applaud your devotion to the people," Zelda slowly began, "did you have our alchemists study the properties of this fruit and its effects before feeding to them?"

Count Durtain frowned, his eyes narrowing almost imperceptivity. "No, I did not your Highness."

"I fear the effects of this fruit on my people," Zelda said, picking up her untouched glass of Black Wine and swishing it around. "Summon the Castle Alchemists and have them study this fruit immediately. I want a report in my hands as soon as possible and will decide whether your actions were a service to Hyrule, Count, or a dangerous mistake."

The Count's face darkened again, and Zelda swore she saw his black eyes flash red. Once again she looked at Ikal, and then addressed the Councils again. "Are there any other inquiries?"

"Not at this time Your Majesty," said Advisor Rauru.

"No, Princess," said Count Durtain.

Zelda stood and brushed the folds from her dress. "In that case, I bid you good night. I expect to see you all tomorrow for an extensive discussion of the affairs of Hyrule in my absence."

All the men in the room stood and bowed low while the princess exited the Council Chamber. Unnoticed by Zelda but caught by Ikal was the dark, angry look on Count Durtain's face while he watched Zelda walk away.

! # $ % ^ & * ( )

The stress of her time away caught up with Zelda. Exhausted and worried, she was actually relieved to see her small army of maids waiting to undress her and help her into bed. She stood in the center of the dim, candle-lit room and took in the sights of her royal tapestries as if seeing them for the first time, although they had not changed since her departure. A group of five maids carrying bed clothes, wash cloths, and a small tub of hot water waited for permission to enter the main chamber. The princess smiled and gestured. Without a word they shuffled into the chamber with their eyes low and their heads bent while Zelda held her arms out to her sides and allowed the first two girls to start taking off her shoulder armor and unlace the bodice of her dress.

With a small, quiet sigh she closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of the maids' gentle hands tugging at her tight clothing and brushing against the undergarments worn beneath them. A third maid put the jewelry and garments away as they were taken off, while a fourth maid held the basin of hot water with a dry towel over her shoulder. A fifth maid dipped the tip of a wash cloth in the water and began massaging her skin in circles. The maid started with Zelda's face, working all of the rushed make-up and hidden grime off of the princess's face and bosom. As the other two maids began to get to the lower layers of the complicated dress, the fifth maid dipped the cloth in the hot water again and began stroking it over Zelda's arms, legs, and other exposed skin.

Under their gentle attentions Zelda's mind was able to be empty of thought and care. She was so relaxed that she even forgot the faint pain from the black marks on her forearms until one of the maids pulled the elbow gloves off and gasped. Zelda's eyes flew open.

"Yer Highness!" the maid said, both hands over her mouth and voice hushed with a note of horror. "What 'appened, if ya' don' mind me askin'?"

The princess drew her arms to her chest and held them close to her body, eyes cast to the ground. "It is…it is merely a new scar from my recent troubles." She knew that no real scar looked like that and the maids would not believe her, but it was the only excuse she could think of. "Do not tell anyone of this or there will be repercussions," Zelda added, throwing a hard look at all of them. The maids curtsied and swore they would say nothing. The rest of their work was done quickly, and they rushed out much quicker than they entered. Dressed in a pale purple nightgown, Zelda's heart felt like led in her chest as she crept into the silk sheets of her bed.

A soft knock on the wall preceded Ikal's entrance. The red-haired woman looked almost as weary as Zelda herself, with red hair sticking out of her braid like curly, wine-colored wires. She crossed the room without a sound like any good Sheikah and sat on the bed by Zelda's legs.

"How are you holding up?" Ikal asked, placing her hand on Zelda's hip.

The princess sighed and closed her eyes. "Fine I guess." She held her arms above the quilts so Ikal could see them. "These frightened the maids. I had to threaten them lightly to ensure they would not spread rumors."

Ikal smiled in sympathy. "I'm sorry Zel. We will have to be very careful about those."

Zelda nodded, turning to lie on her back and stare at the ceiling. "We will have to be careful about many things I am afraid," she said. Furrowing her brow, she looked at Ikal again. "I sense a Darkness in Hyrule that was not here when we left."

Ikal nodded. "I agree, Princess. I feel it in the shadows."

"The black fruit…" Zelda started.

Ikal nodded before Zelda finished. "And the Count," she added.

"Indeed," Zelda said, tapping a finger on her cheek. "His eyes are different than the last time I saw them…dark, somehow. As if they are not his own. And his face…"

"So full of fury and self-conceit," Ikal finished for her. "He looked at your back while you retreated with such hate on his features."

Zelda was quiet, deep in thought for a few moments. Eventually she said, "the Council Members were transfixed by him. They adore him."

"I think that they see him as a savior," Ikal said.

"I agree. What worries me is the point of view adopted by Rauru that shows Link and I in a negative light."

Ikal looked at the flame of a nearby candle, face as still as stone. Zelda was likewise lost in her own thoughts. "Princess," Ikal said, "If the Count has spread this dark fruit to the people already they probably share the Advisors' point of view. That Council is hired to speak on behalf of the people, after all."

"Though they have been out of touch with the common people for several generations, but go on." Zelda said.

Ikal nodded. "None the less, his statement and the Count's actions align with the odd looks we received when entering Castle Town." Zelda nodded, and Ikal continued. "I would be careful when speaking negatively about the Count. I will keep watch on his movements and see what we can learn of these developments."

"I will be careful," Zelda murmured. She turned onto her side, absently rubbing the decaying finger trails along her forearms. Her features were darkened with trouble and worry. "How do we find ourselves in danger again, Ikal?" she whispered without looking at her companion. "What is happening to my people? My country? What have I done wrong?"

Ikal looked at the floor and shook her head, although the princess did not see the movement. "I do not know, Zel…but I feel a sense of foreboding in my heart."

"As do I, my friend," Zelda responded.

The conversation over, Ikal squeezed Zelda's shoulder and stood. "I will not be far away should you need me," she said.

Zelda smiled. "Get some rest yourself, Ika. I will be fine for one night." The Sheikah smiled and nodded, then disappeared behind the secret panel in the wall as silently as she entered. Zelda turned over, snuggled into her quilts, and was soon taken by sleep.

That night the auburn-haired princess was visited by her dark nightmare again. Running through a thick forest…the Sheikah uniform…wolves in the trees…unnatural darkness….screaming. This time, however, when the darkness solidified and invaded her it wore the face of Count Durtain, and his eyes shone a hate-filled crimson red.

**0000000000000000000**

**Author's Note**:

Hello everyone! I've risen from the dead—quite literally actually. Having survived a series of crazy events, I found myself starving to write this story and paint and all of the other things that had been robbed from me. It was quite therapeutic and wonderful to be writing again. I hope that this chapter satisfies and interests you. I have already begun work on the next chapter.

Again, I appreciate your patience and continued support. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think.

_~The Wolfess_

P.S. I am now a staff article writer for Zelda Universe. Keep an eye out for my first article. I have also fulfilled a lifelong longing and purchased a master sword copy. YEY! I will post a picture of me with it on my deviantart when it arrives on Tuesday.


	24. Savage Beast

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy**_

The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Savage Beast**

A light blue spread from the horizon in the early morning sky like olive oil in a boiling pot when the sound of a few hundred clanking, tired men and horses made their way through the chilly, still air of West Hyrule Field. Their boots were damp with dew, and their eyes were heavy with want of sleep. General Link had pushed them through the night in order to reach Hyrule a little sooner. Though it was trying on their already weary bodies, the men's desire to be in their own beds, holding their wives and kissing their children, gave them a stamina they didn't usually possess. As always, Link rode on Epona in his glamorous armor at the front of the army with his most trusted—Captain Volc—at his side. Despite Link's coaxing, the captain still didn't trust him, and Volc's face was hard as a slab of stone. Link was no better off. The usually bright-eyed man seemed tense and restless. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, and his lips pressed into a hard line. He had the shadow of a beard on the hard planes of his face, and his hair seemed more unkempt. His right hand never left the pouch on his belt. The army kept a noticeable distance from their General, as if sensing some kind of unnerving wildness about him.

As they approached Castle Town's West Gate, the Military Trumpeters and Flag Bearers strode to the front. They took a still breath, fiddled with the buttons on their trumpets, and kept their eyes trained on Link. Silence buzzed in the air, electrifying the sleepy quiet of Castle Town's night.

Link reigned in Epona and lifted his hand high, bringing the army to a halt. The auburn horse danced on her hoofs, and Link rubbed her sweaty neck. He caught the eye of the Lead Trumpet and nodded. The Lead Trumpeter nodded back, and gave the signal to his men. They took a deep breath and then they sounded a loud, victorious song into the air.

The bones of every man hummed with excitement, and goose bumps rose on every arm. The Flag of Hyrule rippled in the wind from the hand of every flag bearer as the army strode forward together.

Within the gates of Hyrule, the trumpets were heard and roused everyone from sleep. Sleepy mothers and children rubbed their eyes as they drifted to their doors and peered into the empty streets. A thunderous sound of feet and hooves clattered over the bridge, and then over the stones of home. Link led them to the main square to the rising sound of cheers and applause. As many of the soldiers as could fit around the fountain in the center of Castle Town filtered in, and eyes turned to Link. The General bent down and whispered in Epona's ear, then patted her neck and gingerly lifted his left foot from the stirrup onto the top of the saddle. In one quick movement, Link's other leg lifted likewise and he rose to stand on Epona's back. She held very still for him, and he balanced on her back with an unnatural balance.

"Men of Hyrule!" he shouted. "The victory we have achieved is yours! My thanks, and the gratitude of all Hyrule, to each of you! Our children and wives can sleep in peace! You are all dismissed!" It was unclear who cheered louder: the people of Castle Town, or the army itself.

Without further adieu, Link and the Captains directed the various segments of the army through the cramped gate so that they could return to their respective homes, with orders to report to the Barracks for debriefing the next day. General Link mounted Epona again and patted her neck, gently guiding her back to the Barracks with the Captain following him. Once there they talked about plans for the main debriefing, and plans for their own debriefing. Despite the fact that protocol called for an immediate Captain-General meeting following any war outing, Link dismissed them anyway. He seemed agitated and edgy, frequently stroking the pouch on his waist or the hilt of his sword and looking about the early morning shadows.

When the hero stood alone in the cold stone General's office he yelled in frustration and ripped off the General's armor. If fell to the floor with a loud clang, followed by another piece and another. His sword lay on the desk top with his shield, and he threw his boots across the room. Link was shaking again, much like he had in King Bulbin's throne room. He peeled off his arm guard and gauntlets and glared at his left hand through scraggly dirty blond bangs. The Triforce of Courage pulsed at a frantic speed, in time with unusually rapid beating of Link's heart. With each pulse the lightless room filled with golden light, illuminating Link's strained features.

_What happening to me?_ Link thought, his trembling right hand groping for the pouch he laid on his desk. Inside the finger-worn flap, the cords of the Wolf Stone greeted his fingers. It was as if electricity jolted through Link's arm, and he pulled the stone out and held it by the cords in front of his face. The glowing orange lines that traced through the shadow stone were also pulsating in a way that Link had never seen before. Furrowing his eyebrows, he held his left hand next to the stone as they lit the black room with an almost eerie blend of gold and orange. His eyes widened. They pulsed at the same speed. But why?

Link's entire body felt almost itchy, as if there was a large ball of energy hidden inside of his breast that would cause the blood in his veins to explode if he did not find an outlet. Hands and body shaking, eyes wide and feral, Link strapped the Wolf Stone around his neck and grabbed it with his whole hand. The pleasure-pain of the transformation was ecstasy to his mind, and the Wolf's sweet primordial mind gave his cluttered and stressed Hylian mind a much needed rest. Green-gray fur bristling, a growl deep in his starving canine throat, the wolf's blue eyes were strangely greenish and pulsed with a gold tint around the edges of his pupils. Unable to control himself, rational thought gone from his mind, Link lifted his muzzle and howled into the morning air. Those in earshot sat up in their beds, alarmed and frightened, and the city guard started marching in the direction it came from, but by the time they reached the army barracks Link and all traces of his lupine self were long gone.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

Zelda sat up in bed when she heard the army had returned. "Finally, something to smile about," she murmured and dismissed the messenger. She was in the process of preparing for the day when the Triforce of Wisdom on her hand began to glow. She looked and it and traced the pattern with her left forefinger. Shortly after, a pained, wild howl tore through the air of Castle Town, and simultaneously the black, decayed marks on Zelda's arms began to ache. She gasped and fell to her knees, clutching her arms to her and clenching her eyes shut. The pain was so intense it was as if the burning figures of her dark self were clawing into her flesh again. The strong, fearless monarch whimpered.

~ ! # $ % ^ & * ( )

A shadow seemed to hang around the halls of Rashak Manor these days. Servants bustled about quicker than usual, often glancing over their shoulders as if expecting someone to attack from the shadows. No one dared to speak when the Master was home. They whispered about him in the servant's quarters, the things he did in his study, and the voice they heard conversing with the Count at night when they knew no one had been admitted to the Manor. Fear was palpable in the air, but desire was stronger. The Count paid them in black apples now—how could they refuse to serve him? He was their savior, and the savior of all the starving and broken in Hyrule. For all his odd ways, for all their fear of him, they also had a strange love for him. The Black Fruit was a gift straight from the hands of the goddesses themselves.

No matter what time of day, it was always midnight in Count Durtain's study. He had the windows boarded up and curtained. The windows outside the door to the study that would have leaked light into it were likewise treated. Durtain sat at his desk with the ancient book he had retrieved in Shmuck Shack Ally opened in front of him. There was also a crystal bowl on the desk filled with ashes from the fireplace. The dim glow of a single candle flame illuminated the book for him, but he did not seem to need it.

Durtain dipped his forefinger and middle finger in the soot and drew a foreign circular symbol on the desk. He then placed a ruby, stone of fire, in the middle of the circle where several lines crossed. Wiping his fingers on a nearby hand towel, Durtain took the candle and tilted the wax into the base of the candleholder so that it would not drip, then touched the ruby with its flame. Though he put the candle back in its place, the flame reflecting in the sizable ruby stayed there, as if held within it. Durtain muttered in the ancient language of the Gerudo clan, a dark sounding incantation voiced by only a handful of fools who desired more power.

Wind blew through the room, though there were no windows for it to come from. Durtain's eyes, often holding a faint red tint since his acquisition of the book, were filled with a glowing red. There was no while, no iris, no pupil—just a sea of blood. They were the same eyes he had seen in the shadows so many months before.

The eyes then pulled away from Durtain's, leaving the Count's old hard-edged brown irises. The darkness in the room condensed around the red eyes, somehow darker than the blackest night. Despite the candlelight, the form was not lit with any features. All Durtain could see were the hollow eyes and the outline of a man.

The Count stood and bowed to the creature, fisting his left hand over his heart. "I have done everything you have told me. Progress is going well."

"_Not fast enough…" _a voice hissed. _"She is still pure…he is still honorable. We must taint their image…make her seem impure. Destroy his honor. Maim their reputations…and the people will do the rest for us. They will thrust us on the throne." _

"Yes my Lord. How should I accomplish this?" said the Count, peering up at the shadowed figure through his oil-colored black hair, grown long from neglect and tied back with a navy blue ribbon.

The red pools scrunched, as if peering out of a smiling face. _"They have already tainted themselves…you have merely to expose them before the people."_ At Durtain's confused expression, the ethereal entity hissed in frustration. _"Can you see nothing?"_ he said. _"Did you not notice the General's strange behavior before the army departed? Have you not taken note of the Princess's new arm attire this past week, even when the gloves are not necessary or do not match her outfits?" _Durtain shook his head, shrinking back a bit._ "The General has a very important secret. The journal you obtained from his house shows it."_Durtain picked up the sketch journal in question, lying on the desk underneath the bowl of ashes. _"Turn to the back pages…what do you see?"_

"A wolf. The same wolf over and over again. Perhaps a creature of evil the General uses to enact his will?"

"_No, you fool!"_ the voice barked. _"Look at the ears!"_

Durtain flipped through the drawings, focusing on the ears. It wasn't until the eighth drawing that he recognized the pattern. "Earrings. The wolf has a single hoop earring in each ear." He scrunched up his eyebrows, dark eyes simmering like a coal in the flames as he turned to pictographs and drawings he had obtained of the Duke of Verdelupo. "No…" he murmured, touching his forefinger to the blue hoops on the Duke's own ears, identical in shape, size, and placement to the wolf. "It can't be possible…"

"_But it is true, Count…he hides the key to it in his pouch. Evil magic transforms him."_

"How do you know this?" Durtain demanded. "How do I know this is not some wild tale used to manipulate me for your own ends?"

The bloody eyes narrowed to slits and the shadows seemed to move closer to Durtain, but the Count did not shrink back. _"I am everlasting you fool! I transcend human knowledge and limitations! How dare you question me after I have so generously aided you in your quest for power?"_

"For justice!" Count Durtain said, taking a single step backward but not backing down. "You may transcend human limitations, but you have limitations of your own. Without my help you would not be here. You are not a God, and you need me."

There was a hissing sound. The shadows writhed and moved, but they could not touch the Count. It was, unfortunately, true. _" None the less, what I tell you is true. You do not have to expose this atrocity, you merely have to use his innate brutality against him. The more brutal he becomes, the more the people will begin to see him as a killer instead of a hero._

"_As for the Princess, I met her during her sojourn. She escaped me with help, but not before I marked her. She is tainted. The dark magic has been deactivated, but one more touch from my hands and it will spread through her body like wildfire and consume her with darkness."_

Durtain's brow furrowed. "Pardon my boldness, Master, but I do not know how you will touch her. She would never stay in this room for the ritual."

"_I know this,"_ the voice breathed. _"There is a way…a way for my presence to become flesh."_ The Count reached for the ancient book, but the darkness halted him. _"It is not in the book, fool! Not even sorcerers of old were brave enough to perform this." _

"Then how can I—"

"_You won't. The ritual would destroy your weak flesh, still so susceptible to Light. Children have been born to me in this world. They are the Shinobi, a small clan of Sheikah who have given themselves over to Darkness. You will find them in the Northern Mountains. They alone can perform the ritual and live."_

Durtain nodded. "Very well. I will send the Castle Town underworld's best to find and retrieve them. How will my men recognize them?"

"_By the color of their eyes—the color of a good bruise—and their silver hair."_

Durtain jotted down a few notes on his desk, then looked at the ethereal entity to see if there was anything else they needed to discuss.

"_Count…on the edge of the woods to the South you will find the General in an interesting condition. He is unconscious at this moment, so you will need to leave immediately."_

Count Durtain bowed. "Thank you my Lord. I will leave at once." He then picked up the ruby and blew on it. The light in the room visibly grew brighter, and the presence was gone. When Durtain turned toward the door to leave, the firelight reflected in eyes that were once again blood red. He strode to the large wooden doors and threw them open, shouting to the nearest servant, "prepare my horse! I am leaving immediately." The skittish man practically ran in the direction of the stables, while Durtain went to a closet in the hall and took out two cloaks—one for himself in these chilly morning hours, and one for his esteemed General just in case the wretch was in need of it.

By the time Durtain reached the stables, the servant and the stable boy were synching up the strap underneath its belly. Without a nod or a thank you the Count kicked the horse's sides and rode out of Castle Town's south gate. Single-minded in focus, he paid little attention to the songs of the morning doves or the dew-laced foliage. The last few stars holding on in the blue pre-sunrise sky held no light for his eyes. The moon held no sway over the tides in his restless soul. Durtain felt the powerful muscles of his steed bunch and release between his legs. He heard the animal's breath puffing out of his nostrils from the caverns of its mighty lungs. He relished the feel of his riding crop slapping the animal's sweaty rump as it obeyed his every command without question. Such good animals, horses.

By the time that Durtain reached the edge of the southern forest there was a sleepy sunrise just beginning to spread through the sky. He slowed the horse down only enough to see any form the might lye just inside or outside the line of trees and peered into the gloom with piecing red eyes.

Count Durtain and his steed were nearly to the entrance to the Ordona Province when they saw a white and crimson lump just inside the trees. Durtain jerked the horse to a stop and swung off its left side, cape swirling around him as he landed. Grabbing the other cloak and tossing it over his shoulder, the Count strode into the trees to examine what was there.

On the ground lay an unconscious Duke of Verdelupo. The man was dressed in nothing but his white undershirt and tan pants, and these were stained in large still-wet splotches of blood. This blood also caked his hands and face, matting his hair to his forehead. The wet grass had wiped some of it off of his cheeks, enough that for the first time Durtain saw how truly young the General was. Through the wet, bloodstained white shirt the boy had many scars of many sizes usually carried by men much older than him. In fact his work-calloused hands—usually covered by leather gauntlets—also had scars on them younger and harsher than those obviously obtained through a life working with your hands. The boy looked so pathetic that Durtain found himself pitying him—at least until he remembered all of the things this boy had done. Durtain frowned, his red eyes narrowing, then threw the cloak over the General's body and rolled him up in it. Then Durtain hoisted the General over his shoulder and carried him back to the waiting horse. The Count laid Link over the top of the horse and swung up after him, pulling the wounded man close enough that Durtain could hold him firm with one hand and steer the horse with the other.

Kicking the horse's side, Count Durtain and unconscious Link galloped full speed toward Hyrule Castle's Infirmary.

!

Count Durtain walked through the castle toward the infirmary with Link modestly covered in the cloak and draped over the Count's arms. Struggling a little with the full-grown man's weight, Durtain called for some nearby guards to help. Armor clanking, they came over and Durtain transferred the General to their arms and walked with them through the doors of the infirmary.

"Excuse me, I need a doctor immediately!" he shouted in a commanding voice once inside. The infirmary was a large room the size of a dining hall. There was a row of beds lining the walls, and a third row down the middle of the room. Although it did not have any carpet, the room did have many large windows covered in white curtains that fluttered in the gusts when opened. At the far end of the room was the royal chamber, set apart for sick the king and queen, and the Doctor's station next to it. This area was open, a small square area just off of the main floor of the infirmary. It had a chair and desk, an examining table, and many instruments, potions, and other medical supplies, as well as a bookcase full of medical volumes. It was to the doctor's station that Durtain and the guards took Link, setting him on the table as the doctor bustled over.

"Well well," he said, peering through large glasses. "What have we here Count?"

"I was out for a morning ride and found him unconscious in the southern forest," Durtain explained. "I happened to have an extra cloak in my saddlebag so I wrapped him in it and brought him straight here. He seems to be very wounded."

The doctor clicked his tongue in concern and bent over the table. "Let me have a look at him then," he said, pulling the cloak off of his body. After much "hmm"ing and "ahh"ing he looked back at the concerned-looking Durtain and said "well, much of this blood is not his own. However he does have his own share of wounds, and some kind of head injury I would assume. I will keep him in one of the patient beds and care for him. Do not worry about his health—I'm convinced the General will be just fine."

"I am glad to hear that," Durtain said. He was about to turn to leave when the door to the Royal Infirmary opened slowly on creaking hinges.

"I will not hear of it," came a soft, pained feminine voice. Princess Zelda slipped through the door, holding on to the door frame for support. "He has done much for our land and I will not have him treated like a commoner, Doctor. He may be of common birth, but he is of noble descent and noble title. You will treat him as such." She coughed, covering her mouth with the back of her gloved hand.

"Yes Princess," the doctor said, grumbling slightly. "Where would you have me put him?"

"Bring him in here and lay him on the King's bed. I very much wish to speak with him when he awakes."

The doctor bowed, and Count Durtain suppressed his enraged reaction. How dare she allow a man like the General to sleep in a bed reserved for the King only? If this was not an indication of their secret relationship, then he didn't know what was. His eyes flaring a brighter red than usual, he bowed to the doctor and the Princess. "Very well then, I will take my leave."

"Thank you Count," Zelda said, inclining her head in dismissal. Durtain rose from his bow and turned on his heal, practically stomping out of the castle. Though very curious about what really happened to the Duke, and why the Princess was there for that matter, Count Durtain knew he would receive no answers. Luckily the finding of the General and the knowledge that much of the blood was not his own confirmed his benefactor's words, and the Princess's reaction in the chamber was a great folly on her part. It would be the perfect tool for revealing her true corruption to the people of Hyrule. A grin crept onto his face as he exited the castle.

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note**:

I want you to notice the significant change concerning the title of this story: book 1 of a trilogy. It is nearing 500 pages, and the next part will equal this in length. Rather than have this be one 1000+ page story, I decided to split it into two books. This book will end soon actually, and the next one will commence with this story line. I will let you know the title as we get nearer to its release. No information about the third book will be released at this time.

I am currently combing through the chapters and fixing the breaks and typos, as much as I can find them. Any help is welcome.

Enjoy and please review!

—_The Wolfess_

_p.s. i appologize for things not being centered. I hate 's formatting. period. i'll fix it later. _


	25. Bittersweet Reunion

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__!  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Bittersweet Reunion**

It was as if he was exiting a lightless tunnel into a dim, foggy forest. His eyes opened to the hazed world once—blinked—twice—fluttered shut again. The third time his eyes opened they stayed open, and the fog cleared. He could see sunshine filtering in from the window, breaking through the haze in his mind and warming the skin of his face.

Link furrowed his brow and silently rubbed his face. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then flexed his toes and fingers to test their dexterity. Everything seemed to be working fine, so he eased his legs over the right side of the bed expecting his feet to touch a cold floor of some kind. Instead they dangled off the edge of what the wolf-man now realized was quite a large, plushy bed placed on the right side of a very well-lit room. There were three large windows open along a wall facing outside with thin white curtains fluttering in the breeze. Curious what else was in the room, Link turned too quickly and winced as the patched-up wounds in his side alerted him to their presence.

"Careful, Link," came a soft feminine voice from behind him. "You've got some wounds. They're not bad, but also not healed."

This time Link turned a little slower, a hand held over the bandaged wound on his torso. Another bed equal in size to the one he reclined in sat on the other side of the room near the door. In that bed lay the one person the hero had been longing to see. She wore a modest violet gown and her auburn hair cascaded in waves over her shoulders, its deep red highlighted by the noonday sun. Her eyes were trained on him, a soft twinkling cerulean, and her face was graced by a fond smile.

"Good afternoon Link. How do you feel?" she asked when he did not speak.

Link swallowed and opened his mouth. His tongue felt swollen and his mouth tasted like iron. "I feel…well, slow. But otherwise okay. Where am I? Why are you here?"

"Well we are in the royal section of the Sick Bay in Hyrule Castle. Normally you would be in a section set aside for nobles, but I wanted to speak with you when you awoke so I asked them to place you in the King's bed alongside me. Now that I am more lucid it occurs to me that this wasn't the best idea in the current political climate, but what is done is done and I am glad to see you Link."

"Current political…what?" Link said, looking confused.

Zelda shook her head. "Nevermind. I'll explain later. First, may I ask you a question?" Link nodded, so Zelda continued. "Do you remember what happened to you? They say Count Durtain brought you in. He found you covered in blood, some your own but mostly belonging to other things."

Link looked at the window and tried to remember. They got back to Castle Town…he gave a speech…he went back to the General's quarters…

Link's eyes widened. He looked down at his own hospital attire, then leapt up, ignoring the pain the sudden movement caused, and started darting about the room. "Where is it?" he asked, eyes wide and frantic. "Who saw it?"

"Link calm down!" Zelda said, trying to sound forceful but soothing. "I don't know where the stone is…I asked them, but they said you didn't have anything like that with you when you were brought in."

Link spun to face Zelda, his hands bunched into fists. "This isn't good," he said, face drawn with anxiety. "What if it falls into the wrong hands? What if someone stole it? I never trusted that Durtain fellow…what if he stole it?" The wolf-man began to pace near the King's bed.

"Link, please calm down and sit. I'm sure it is fine, and you will find it soon. Sit down and talk to me. Tell me what happened."

Link took a deep breath again and slowly exhaled. He took a second breath and exhaled. Though still a little twitchy, as he could not seem to stop his leg from bouncing or his hands from picking at things, Link sat down on the edge of the bed facing Zelda. "I just got back from the campaign and it felt like I would go mad if I didn't get out of that armor and position of authority. I hadn't transformed in what felt like forever. The wolf inside of me was practically scratching at my skin to get out. I had been resisting it for a long time—leading the army is no time to disappear and transform into a beast and I had duties in the morning—but then my hand started pulsing." Link held up his left hand, showing Zelda the faint triforce mark underneath. "The stone was pulsing too, at the same speed. It was like the wolf spirit in the stone and the hero's spirit in the triforce were linked and demanding I change. I couldn't resist. I changed and ripped out of Castle Town."

Here Link paused, his brow furrowing. "It's hard to remember from there…the wolf's mind was so primitive and instinctual…more than it ever has felt before. I wanted to run in the forest. I wanted to hunt and feed. I wanted the feeling of hot flesh ripping in my jaws and warm blood sliding down my throat from a fresh kill. I wanted to attack and kill and hold nothing back." The wolf-man paused and looked at Zelda, who quickly masked the look of horror on her face. "It's not like that!" Link quickly insisted. "Wolves are hunters by nature, not murderers. I went hunting small deer mostly, and found quite a few. They were delicious and the activity satiated my wildness. However I drifted very deep in the southern forest…it's really hazy here. I caught an unfamiliar scent that set my instincts on alert. Next thing I knew there was a pack of wolfos breathing down my neck, and I tried to fight them off but there were too many so I turned around and bolted for the edge of the forest. I made it, but I got really hurt in the process…the wolf stone must have caught a branch in my escape and snapped off."

The room was silent for a moment, only interrupted by the sounds of birds in the garden out the windows. "Link," Zelda said. "I think we have a very bad problem."

"What?" the hero asked. "It had just been a long time is all. A couple things were strange about it but…well, everything will be fine. I'll find the stone like you said and make sure to not go that long again. And to stay out of the forest."

"No Link, that's not what I'm talking about," Zelda said, shaking her head. "Well, okay that's part of my concern, but there's more than that." She leaned toward Link and glanced about, as if making sure no one was eaves dropping. "Link when your triforce started pulsing mine did too. And when you changed into the wolf…well…" the princess sighed and paused, then took her hands out from beneath the quilts. She held them up so Link could get a good look at the furrows in her arms. "More happened in the Shadow Temple than I let on when I saw you…a version of myself created by Darkness itself created these marks. The goddesses did something to them I think, but when you transformed like that, with the triforce pulsing, such pain when through these marks that I passed out and woke up here in the infirmary."

Link frowned. "That's a bad sign…any idea why?"

"No," Zelda said, shaking her head. "I've been reading through books of legend all morning but have found nothing to shed light on this."

Link sighed and slumped forward, lacing his fingers through his bangs. "I'm sorry," he said after a moment in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry that my…addiction…has caused you such pain."

"Oh Link, no. It's not your fault I don't think…dark magic may have locked you in that form, but I believe that you were turned into a wolf by the goddesses for a purpose. They designed and orchestrated this…and everything that happened with our triforces is clearly them as well. It doesn't make sense to our minds, but we don't have their eternal perspective. Perhaps the dark magic that is in that stone and the dark magic that caused my marks are somehow related."

"Still…" Link started.

"Still nothing. You're fine Link." Zelda smiled at him, her features soft and fond. "I have missed you…" she admitted, averting her eyes. "Very much."

Link finally began to relax, and smiled back. "I missed you too, actually. The soldiers are all fun, sure, but none of them are as intelligent and witty as you. Stupid humor gets old after a while." He chuckled. "As does living with several hundred men."

"This kind of speech is highly improper," Zelda murmured, raising her eyes to meet his again. "But then I suppose that is the reason I wanted you in here…the King and Queen's chamber is built so that no one can overhear."

Link tapped his toes on the edge of the bed, drummed his fingertips on the quilt, and looked about the room. Eventually he eased himself off the bed, careful of his wounds, and walked over to Zelda's bed, bare feet patting over the cool stone floor. Zelda raised an eyebrow in question as Link sat down on the edge of her bed, turned slightly toward her.

"I just figured it would be easier to talk this way," he explained. "If we're safe in here like you say." His fingers picked at the threads in the Queen's Quilt, a single tooth gnawing on his bottom lip.

Zelda reached over and laid her small hand on his to still it. "I suppose you're right," she said, smiling a little. "Thank you."

They sat like that for a while, silent and contemplative with their hands touching. It was as if touching the other made them feel a little more grounded, more in control of themselves and their destiny. Torn by duty, destiny, and their own desires, both the Princess and the Hero felt as if they were swimming in a storm-tossed sea. No matter how hard they swam it didn't feel like they were getting anywhere, and though they reached out for help none seemed to reach back. They could not see where they came from or where they were going, though they remembered their intended destination and origin. Something about the anchoring touch of the other's hand reminded their souls that they were not alone in this fight against the sea, and that was an invaluable and rare comfort.

"I worried about you," Link murmured, looking down at their hands. "I knew something wasn't right. Deep inside me I could feel it…it drove me wild. I abandoned my troops, attacked my captains and doctors, killed several Bulbins after their surrender…all to find you and make sure you were safe. I had no control over myself…it was all so strange."

Zelda rubbed her thumb over the top of Link's scarred knuckles, her face gentle but impassive. "I will admit, I have become quite accustomed to having you around Link. The political climate in Hyrule is uneasy…dangerous even. I feel like I'm walking on egg shells at all times with every eye scrutinizing me and few with compassion. My favor is going down among the people…there's pressure to do things and agree to things that I refuse to agree with. It was easier to fight the dead in the bowels of the Shadow Temple than to appeal logic to an addicted, illogical people." Her sad eyes remained fixated on Link's hand, though her grip on it tightened. "I am glad that you are home." She raised her eyes to study his scraggly face. They were silent for a few moments, each held in the other's hesitant gaze. A breath was held in the chamber, as if the wind god himself were waiting. "I feel stronger when you are behind me," Zelda murmured. "Safer."

Link took her hand in both of his own and smiled his first genuine, relaxed smile in weeks. The wildness and hardness seemed to melt from his gaze and his face, and for a moment he felt like a simple shepherd boy again. He didn't feel the urge to run away or kill, didn't feel the heavy weight of responsibility and leadership, and didn't think about the regrets and misgivings in his heart. With a slow sigh he lowered his forehead down onto the princess's hand and closed his eyes, wishing deep in his heart that life wasn't as complicated as it really was. "I'm tired of watching everything I say," he murmured, "and tired of being so careful not to look at you too long to speak of you too familiarly."

"Link, please…" Zelda whispered, looking strained.

"No, please listen," he interrupted, lifting his head and looking her in the eye. "I've had a lot of time to think about this over the month we were gone. A lot of time. All I'm saying is that if you were born in Ordon or Kakariko I would have left flowers in your door this morning and not told you who they were from without being afraid of causing a scandal, and I would have asked you to go on a walk through the woods with me so I could hear your laugh echo through the trees instead of in these stone halls." He swallowed and cast his eyes down again. "That's all."

Princess Zelda sighed and drew her hand away from his, looking down at the quilt as well. They both knew that she couldn't respond, and that reality made the Ordon man's words all the more poignant. Link bit his lip and nodded to himself, then stood up and walked over to the window. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, sighing as he felt the warm sun shine on his face and the breeze rake its fingers through his hair. His chest ached with the weight of responsibilities unnatural for him to bear, and feelings uncomfortable for him to contain. Zelda watched her hero age right before her eyes and her heart sank as well.

"I'm sorry to have put so much weight on you," she whispered. "You are wild and untamed. I never thought about how hard this life might be on you…it is all I have known."

Link shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "If I didn't want this life I would have told you no," he said. "I chose it for myself, and chose it gladly." He turned just enough to see her out of the corner of his eye. "Chose it to be nearer to you, though I didn't understand why."

Zelda sighed, lancing and unlacing her fingers on the quilt in front of her. Link turned back to the window. The silence in the room squealed in the Princess's ears. Finally she slipped out of the bed and crossed the room to him, her steps quieter than his on the cold floor. Zelda laid her hand on Link's back. "I can't…" she whispered. "I'm sorry…I just can't. Not now. Not when my country is falling apart all over again. Please…I need your strength Link. Don't make this more complicated."

Link nodded and turned around, his hands hanging limp at his sides. Zelda stepped back. "Okay," he said. "I won't. So…you keep mentioning the state of Hyrule. I thought we were doing good when we left?"

Seeming almost relieved that the conversation had moved on, Zelda walked back over to her bed and sat down. "I thought so too, but I have since discovered that the information being given to me by the advisors was incorrect."

Link crossed over to the King's bed as sat facing Zelda. "All right, fill me in. I'm listening."

And so Zelda explained the difference between the nobility and advisor's reports of rising economic health and the effectiveness of Royal Revenues sent to the people, and the reality of rising starvation and economic strain caused by weak crops and monster raids in a farm-based economy.

"With the farmers not able to produce nearly enough crops, the merchants who sell that crop have less to sell, and the people who make the equipment associated with the various crops don't have a demand for their services either. Since they are not earning money, they can't hire workers. Since they can't hire workers, the workers can hardly afford basic necessities, let alone buy anything that's unnecessary. It's a terrible cycle with its root cause in the farms, and no amount of Royal Revenue can fix the farmer's nonexistent crops when it's too late in the season to plant."

Link frowned. "I think I understand…and can imagine this isn't good."

"It's not," Zelda said. "To top it off, I was receiving false reports and so sent all of the land's able-bodied men on a mission to the dessert to befriend monsters while they were needed at home."

"Which makes it look like you don't care about them," Link deduced, his eyes widening a little, "and are more interested in glory and power than you are in their well-being."

"It gets worse," Zelda said. "While you and I were both away, someone set up a new statue in the fountain that depicts you and I. Did you see it when you came in?"

Link shook his head. "No…I was a little singularly focused at the moment though."

"I understand. Whoever had it created put the crown that accompanies the General's Armor on your head, which makes you look like the King. The artist also gave us both swords and crafted our facial expressions to appear hard and ferocious." Zelda paused while Link drew up a mental image. "Also, Count Durtain went on an adventure and brought back these strange black apples that have spread across the kingdom like wildfire. The entire kingdom is obsessed with them, from the regular populace to the nobility to the advisors themselves. They have taken to calling the Count 'the True Savior of Hyrule'."

Link sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "Great. I get it. Wonderful." He straightened up and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. "So we appear greedy and out of touch with the regular populace, I look like a power-hungry ladder climber who has somehow tricked you, and Count Durtain looks like the white knight come to rescue the people from starvation."

Zelda nodded. "Exactly. I had the castle alchemists study the fruit because I suspected they have magical properties, and they do indeed. There is dark magic in them as thick as the apples are juicy."

"So what do we do now?" Link asked.

Zelda rubbed her face with her hand. "I don't know," she sighed. "I haven't figured that out yet. I can't think of anything that will purify the apples from the people's systems."

They had slipped into a brainstorming session when someone knocked on the door. Link and Zelda hurriedly slipped under their respective quilts, and then Zelda told the person to enter. A servant stood at the door with a platter of black apples.

"Would you and your guest like something to eat your Majesty?" he asked.

Though Zelda's stomach grumbled, she shook her head. "No thank you." When the servant didn't leave, she asked him if there was something else.

"Yes my Lady,' he said. "The Count of Rashak is here to check on my Lord the Duke."

Zelda and Link exchanged a glance, then Zelda said "all right. Send him in."

The servant bowed and exited. It was a couple minutes before Durtain entered, dressed as sharp and darkly as ever. His red eyes glittered in the sunlit room. He bowed deep and low, a fake smile on his face. "It does my heart well to see that you both are up and looking well. I was so worried for you both this morning."

Zelda smiled. "Thank you Count."

Link nodded his head. "Yes, thank you. And thank you for finding me this morning and bringing me in. I was very lucky."

Durtain nodded, looking grave. "Indeed. You were in a horrible state. May I ask what happened?"

Link paused, then said, "I was going for a quick ride around the field and some wolves spooked my horse. I fought most of the vile beasts off, but they wounded me anyway."

"I see," Durtain said. "What a frightening adventure. I am glad that you are well!" He paused, rummaging around in a velvet pouch on his belt, then drew out a particular strange stone tied in rope like a collar. "Speaking of the forest, I went back to see if any of your belongings had gotten lost in your ordeal and I found this peculiar item. Does it belong to you?"

Link jumped, but kept his face calm. "Yes, it does. I was wondering where it was, thank you Count Durtain." He held out his hand for the stone. Grinning in a way that made Link uneasy, the Count crossed over to the King's bed and dangled the stone over Link's palm. When he did not drop it, Link swiped the chord out of the Count's grasp and hid it under the quilts in one movement, careful not to touch the stone itself.

"Quite the curious item you have there, Duke Link. You should watch it more carefully next time you go riding. Always have a weapon on hand."

Link nodded. "Thank you for the advice," he said.

Link and Durtain looked hard at each other, the room so filled with tension it was suffocating. Zelda cleared her throat, causing both of the men to look at her. "How nice of you to bring it here, Count! The General is very appreciative I'm sure. We are all very grateful for your many services to the Crown and Hyrule itself."

"It is my pleasure, Highness," said Durtain through barely grit teeth. He strode to the door and bowed so quickly that it was almost rude. Luckily no one outside the room could see the Count's obvious disrespect. "I should be on my way. Have a pleasant evening."

"You as well," Zelda responded, still smiling sweetly as ever until the Count had left and closed the door behind him. She then spun around to Link, gaze full of meaning as he drew the stone out from under the quilt and held it between them. "This does not bode well for us," she said, forehead creased. "Not well at all."

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note**:

Hello everyone! This is a short chapter, but a good one I feel. I'm happy with it. Chapter 25 coming soon-now that I have a netbook i have tons of time to work on it. I'm still combing through chapters slowly. I have one through 15 edited and ready to be uploaded but I want them all done first so I can fix them all at once. Enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

—_The Wolfess_


	26. Violence and Demands

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Violence and Demands**

The sun inched closer to the western horizon and spread a swath of liquid gold across the base of the sky, trickling through the window of the infirmary upon the quiet forms of a Princess and a Hero talking from their beds with grim expressions. Another knock on their door hushed them, and the Doctor entered with his clip board in hand and his glasses dangling on the tip of his nose.

"Well, I see no reason to keep either of you. You both seem to be looking well. You, young Duke, I would like to see again tomorrow to check your bandages. Don't do anything to agitate your wound please."

Link nodded as he stood and strapped his sword belts on. He had a soldier retrieve his green tunic for him earlier that day and changed into them privately. Zelda, likewise properly dressed, also stood and folded her hands in front of her.

"Thank you Doctor," she said. "I will send your salary soon."

The Doctor bowed. "If you will excuse me Your Highness, Your Grace." With that he backed out of the room.

Link and Zelda made their way out of the infirmary in silence, turning the stone corner at the end of the hall and making their way to Zelda's private chambers. Link's hands were folded behind him, his face impassive.

"What are you thinking about, Link?" Zelda asked after a while, her voice hushed in the echo of the castle hallways.

Link raised his eyes from the floor but did not look at the Princess. "I'm thinking about Count Durtain, to tell you the truth. Thinking about all you have told me about him. He seems like a contradiction…worried about the people and saving my life, and yet bringing back these evil apples and treating us with such subtle disrespect earlier. I don't understand his true nature."

Zelda was wearing an elegant violet evening dress that complimented the varied tones in her auburn hair, and some simple golden jewelry with her customary tiara. She fingered the material of her dress and furrowed her brow. "What do your instincts tell you, Wolf Man?"

Link turned his blue eyes on her, confusion glittering in their watery depths. "You would trust the reasonless impulses of an animal?" he said, voice lined with bitterness.

The Princess met his confused eyes with a steady gaze. "In times of danger, no matter what kind that may be? Yes. Absolutely." When her words did not seem to assuage his self-deprecation, Zelda continued. "Link, when the Twilight King began invading Hyrule there were mass reports of lost animals or accidents caused by violent animals. The wildlife was restless and encroaching on cities and farms more than usual, causing enough damage to be reported. When Zant and his soldiers invaded the city, the rats, the cats, and the dogs all fled or attacked. Animals do not have logic to impede them. When danger is coming or around, they either fight or flee. It is as simple as that. Watching the actions of the animals is a great way to recognize danger when it approaches."

The tension in Link's back eased, and he sighed. "If it is an animal's opinion you would like, then you've come to the right man I guess." The hero paused, dropping his eyes and then raising them again, his feral gaze boring into the Princess. "When I saw him today, such evil emanated from him that it was all I could do to appear calm and not to rip his throat out."

Zelda swallowed, shifting her eyes away from the animalistic fire that burned in Link's. She wondered again that day about the brutality she had seen in her Hero since the incident after the Land of Death.

This time it was Link's turn to ask what Zelda was thinking. In response, the Princess stopped and touched Link's elbow, causing him to halt mid-step and back up a pace. "Yes?" he asked.

"Link," Zelda began, her voice a mere whisper, "I worry about you, and I worry about our incident this morning, and I worry about that statue in the square. Do you not see yourself, Hero? Where is the farm boy who approached my table with such fright and innocence? Innocence against all odds, after all you had been through. Somehow, despite all the death and pain you went through in the war, your eyes still held a boyish laughter."

Link crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Zelda, his jaw locked and tensed, mouth pressed to a thin line.

Zelda paused, but continued anyway, her gloved hand sliding up his arm to cup his chin. "Now I see burden. Now I see anger and murder. Now I see in your gaze a bloodlust I never knew. Has it always been there and I just did not know to see it? Are the duties I have put on you causing you to lose control over the animal inside?"

Link took a step backward and turned his back on Zelda. He cast a furtive glance down the empty hallway and rushed to a nearby alcove in the wall. "You speak too informally in public," he growled.

Zelda swallowed. "It is sunset. The servants are in their chambers and the guards are at their posts. My maids await me in my room. None will walk this obscure hall for another hour until the guard's hallway patrols begin in the outer hallways, which only happens during the thieving hours of night."

"Fine," he snapped, averting his eyes. Their silence was tense, and emotions swirled within the quiet hero. His voice no longer angry, Link said, "I became an animal the day the war invaded my home village. What you have seen is a ghost of the innocence I once boasted."

Zelda recognized his wary movements and strategic placement, and therefore she kept her distance. "I do not believe that," she said.

"Then you are just as fooled as the rest," Link snapped. "If Durtain brings danger on us again then you need a wolf, not a country boy. That's why you brought me here in the first place."

Zelda frowned, a hurt expression flashing onto her face and then waning away. "Perhaps," she said, voice stern. "Or perhaps I selfishly longed for someone who would understand and help me. Goodnight General. I beg you, get some rest and take care of yourself. The debriefing can wait a few days while you recover." She turned on her heal and clacked down the hallway.

The Wolf Man did not follow her. He took a turn to a hidden passage he knew led outside and escaped into the solace of the night. The Bulbin Campaign had taken the rest of fall, and while the Desert was still in the grasp of summer heat, Hyrule was feeling the first frosty bites of winter. Already Link could feel the forming frost on the foliage, and an arctic chill in the air. He shivered with the memory of another arctic land, and the hundreds of dying Zora trapped in their own unnaturally frozen home. If it had not been for the wolf's keen senses he would not have seen the Zora to free them, and yet the horror of that sight haunted the Wolf Man's memories to this day. How many of them had died because he was too late? How many died on the steps of their home shortly after being freed? How many had been hit by the giant flaming rock he and Midna threw into the ice?

The farther Link walked from Zelda's presence, the more agitated he became. Memories of violence and horror flooded him as he exited the castle gate and walked down the cobblestone way of Castle Town's north quarter. He began to notice that the town seemed grimy and dirty, much more so than was customary for the age, and citizens with sallow cheeks and half-rotten apples in their hands lined the silent street with their sunken eyes on the Castle Gate. As he walked by them, they reached out their hands toward him and mouthed "Apples?"

Link shook his head and stalked on, exiting into the main square where the grand statue stood in all of its glory. Link circled in front of it, standing in front of it with his face turned up toward the angry face of himself. The stone hero looked down from on high, grand, proud, and fierce. He wielded his sword as if ready to strike anyone who dared to come near. By his side stood an equally stern Princess, seeming to lean into the hero and take up his angry cause.

Fury welled in Link's breast. This image portrayed him as a violent tyrant in the making. Zelda looked to be swayed into his violence and power. There was no compassion in these faces. No laughter or joy. No understanding. No kindness or love. Link's hands shook, anger vibrating through his form like an earthquake. If the boy-hero was able to see himself in that moment he would seen the statue's fury mirrored on his own face and understand that he was becoming the key to his own destruction.

At it were, he did not see himself, and in a flash moment of decision he slipped on the Wolf Stone and set out on quite a different hunt—a hunt to discover the truth behind the apples, the statue, and Count Durtain.

!

The black and grime of the alleyways and side streets hid Link's dark body. As he slipped through the shadows, his blue predator's eyes saw the transformed city with silent grief and anger. There were apple cores and apple peels everywhere. The stones were sticky under his paws with the black juice. He could sense people inside their houses and hear their frantic slurping and biting. Every house was the same—outside the door were the occupants' apple trees, and inside were ravenous animals masquerading as noble Hylians, bent over in their consumption of the evil fruit.

Outside a bar, Link watched two men fighting over a bag of apple seeds, and growled when one of them produced a hidden knife and slit the other's throat. When the crowd cheered his ingenuity, Link moved on. Outside another house, this one in the eastern quarter, Link saw a man throw his wife through the front window and take the apples from her dinner plate. At yet another house, he saw a couple consuming a pile of apples on the grimy floor while their sallow-cheeked children fought each other in the corner over one.

A soft, powdery snow began to fall; the first flakes of winter. They melted the moment they approached his thick, hot fur, and did not stick to the ground. Link could take no more of this city's agonizing sights. Steeling his heart against the fury and the sorrow welling within it, the wolf sniffed the ground and set a path for Durtain's mansion.

!

Was it just his limited vision, or was it darker around the Rashak Estate somehow? Link sniffed around the edges of the mansion, his fur standing on end. The wolf searched for a long while trying to find an open window or a way in, but Count Durtain was very thorough in his protection. All outside opening were boarded or cemented up, and the walls were too thick to burrow underneath.

Just when Link was about to give up, an orange cat caught his eye. He tilted his head, remembering its scent, and trotted over. The cat turned when he approached, sensing him more than hearing his silent paws.

"Good evening Dog," said Gengle the Cat.

Link nodded his furred head. "Hi Gengle. How are you?"

The cat sat and began licking its front paw. "My master and I are fine. We live here now you know."

Link's ears perked, his tail thumping the ground a few times. "That's great! What's it like in there?"

The cat started grooming its other paw. "My master thinks it's great, but Durtain is evil. Well, not Durtain. He's just confused. But I think he's into something…something evil in his study. He keeps it boarded up, with no light at all. I don't know how he stands the darkness. He doesn't have cat eyes."

Link curled his tail around his paws, trying to keep his toes warm as the snow kept falling. "Do you ever hear anything strange in there?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

The cat looked at Link suspiciously. "Yes. Do you want to know what I hear, Dog?"

Link nodded his furry head. "Please."

"Well," Gengle started, curling himself up into a ball for warmth with just the tip of his pink nose showing. "He talks to someone sometimes, and the voice is different than his own, though no one sees anyone but him go in or out. And he hates the General, that Link boy you smell like. My master and I think the Link boy is nice, but Durtain thinks he's a liar who's corrupting the Princess. I don't know about that. I do know that Durtain meets with these four men at the pub and they plan ways to bring down the Princess and the General to save Hyrule from them."

Link suppressed a growl, his fur standing on end. "What's their plan?"

"How should I know?" Gengle replied. "They shooed me out of the pub before I could hear."

Link huffed a canine sigh and stood. "Thank you Gengle. You've been helpful."

The cat stood as well, stretching its back. "Of course, Dog. One more thing: I recognized one of the men in the pub. He was the former General, before the Link boy."

Link's eyes narrowed, and this time he did growl. "Thank you, again. I will see you another time." Before Gengle could reply, Link turned and ran full speed to his own mansion, where Gorkenheim was supposed to have been since his departure. He would chew that backstabbing excuse for a human a few new holes.

As Link neared his house, however, he skidded to a halt and whimpered. What was he going to say? A cat told him? Link had no evidence with which to back up his claim, and if the Count of Rashak was behind this then Gorkenheim's tracks were probably well covered and he could just say it wasn't true.

_What do I do now?_ Link thought, bursting with the new information. It was well past midnight by now, and the Princess was surely sleeping. _She did tell me to rest,_ he thought. _Maybe I should go home and tell her tomorrow._ Deciding that this was a good plan, Link continued to his empty, cold mansion home as the snow steadily fell in the dark night.

!

The next morning Link set out with urgency to speak with Zelda, but found himself unable to due to a series of meetings she was engaged in through dinner. He had woken up just as agitated and fidgety as he had been the night before, but this roadblock seemed to increase it. The air felt very cold that morning as Link made his way to the Army Compound in hopes of meeting with his captains, but Link didn't seem to feel it. He walked through the cold as if his wolf fur was still covering his body even without the stone, and others could feel heat rising from his skin if they passed near him in the square.

The Army Compound was quiet and covered in frost, though only a little of the snow from the night before stuck. Where Link's boots pressed into the grass as he walked, the remaining snow melted under his feet, and his exhale sent cold puffs into the air. A few soldiers were already on the training grounds, and the General smiled at their dedication.

The stone halls that housed his office and quarters were as cold, if not colder, than the area outside. In the stillness of the morning the littlest sounds were magnified, like the chirping of the lingering birds, or the hushed voices that Link now heard in the Captains' quarters down the corridor. Link glanced around, then slipped on his wolf stone again and padded silently down the hall, the sounds almost immediately louder to his sharp canine hearing.

"Are you sure he is not around?" came the voice of one of his captains.

"Yes," said another, "I checked with the Castle Guard. The General is to rest for a few days to allow his wound to heal. All of the men are at home, so this is one of a few safe places in Castle Town to speak."

"Very well," said a third that Link vaguely recognized as the captain he demoted on his first day. He never had gotten them straight—Doker, Refflan, and Morg. He still called them by the wrong names. "How have your tasks gone? Successful?"

"Mine is," said a fourth voice, Gorkenheim, which caused Link's fur to stand on end. "He came home last night and went straight to bed without even checkin on me. I've been talking to the other servants in other houses and slaves like meself due to crimes, and raisin hell about the injustice of what they did to me."

"And how are people responding?" said the third voice again.

"Not well at first, but they are more and more every day. The Count's done a great job o' turnin this apple thing into a rebellion."

"It's not quite there yet," said the second voice. "Not rebellion…but the people are restless and hungry. They are going to want more fruit, and soon."

"They already do," said the first voice. "I've spoken to my soldiers, who have all partaken of the black apple by the way. They are all scared of him, and tell me what they have heard their families say. The people are tired of apples. Durtain said there was more variety, and they already want it."

"Yes," said the second voice. "I hear the same from my soldiers. They want black grain to make bread, and black corn to feed their goats to make black milk. Apples are hard on the animals. The Counsel of Advisors is more eager than anyone. They are already pushing the bill to the Princess. They rounded up the last of the people's signatures this morning."

There was a moment of silence, and then the third voice spoke. "The Count is a genius. However he discovered that evil valley, the fruits have already done their job. I was not expecting this so soon. Ready yourself, gentlemen, for the moment the document is signed by the Princess. Stock up on your private stores of regular food, and ready yourselves for a quick move out. I can feel it in my bones as much as I can feel the winter chill—it is going to happen quickly." The silence following his speech rang with agreement.

Link backpedaled, turned around, and slinked away from the officer's quarters, from the backstabbing captains, childish soldiers, and petty nobleman boasting their power like a child's special candy. He tore off the Wolf Stone, slipped it in his pocket, and walked toward the southern gate. He was nearly running in the morning daylight, eyes wide and touched by something furious and not exactly human. Several people spoke to him as he pushed through the morning market crowd, but all he could hear was the thumping of his own heart and the rush of blood in his ears. Responsibility, political intrigue, scandal, and rebellion…he couldn't stand one more moment in this human's skin. He could not take one more show of civil conversation, or petty political argument. Who was trustworthy? Who was not in on this grand conspiracy? How had he not seen it coming? Link needed the seamless fur stretched over a body created to kill, to survive. He needed bleeding flesh clenched in his jaws, the coppery hot blood sliding down his throat, and he needed it now.

"General Verdelupo, just the man I was looking for!" A hand slammed into Link's chest, causing him to stumble backwards in his forward momentum. The Wolf Man blinked at the nobleman, barely recognizing the black hair and strange eyes of Count Durtain through the haze of hunt-lust clouding his mind. "Where are you going in such a hurry, Your Grace?" the Count asked.

Link growled at the man and clenched his fists. "Nowhere," he snapped, trying to side step Durtain. The Count merely stepped with him.

"Then surely you can stop and talk!" he said. "I have important things to discuss with you."

Link shook his head, stepping to the right, and again found Durtain blocking his way forward. Link could see the entrance from where he stood, mere yards away. "No, can't. Please let me pass."

Durtain's mouth turned up on one side, almost a grin but not quite. "What's wrong, Link? You look like you've seen a ghost, man."

Link's brow started to perspire, his hands to shake, and his voice came out in a gravely, animalistic growl. It was a bad idea to confront this backstabbing Count now. It would only cause more trouble. It would feed Durtain's lies. The Wolf Stone pulsed in Link's pocket. The Triforce pulsed on his hand. His mind felt cloudy. "No, no ghosts. I killed them all. Jovani…let me pass!"

"So you killed all the ghosts for Jovani?" Durtain chuckled. "No wonder he gave you his fortune, greedy coward that he is."

Link balled his hands into fists, pushing at Durtain in the subtlest way he could, trembling with the effort it took to restrain himself, but the Count pushed back.

"Jovani's not involved. I don't know what you're talking about…" Link said.

"Ha ha, I think you do Link. Good hero taking payment for his services…I wonder what the starving people would think?" Durtain pushed Link's chest again, a mocking frown on his face. "I'm shocked at you, hero."

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Link bellowed, raising his left fist and slamming it into Durtain's jaw. The Count stumbled backwards and fell on his back. It was long enough for Link to break into a run and disappear out the gate. A crowd of shocked onlookers stared, at least twenty of them. They had heard and seen the whole exchange as they bought their morning allotment of Black Apples. Count Durtain rubbed his jaw, pretending to look wounded and honorable while something inside of him laughed.

!

It took an hour for news of Link's assault to reach Zelda. A servant slipped her a note from Ikal while she was in another heated meeting with the Counsel of Advisors. Their increasing arguments for a campaign to retrieve more black fruit from the Southern Mountains to rescue their economy was tiring Zelda, but thus far she had been able to find many holes in their arguments and stave off what she feared was coming.

The first question in her mind was why he didn't turn into a wolf—she felt her hand flashing like before, but no pain surged through her marks, leading her to the conclusion that Link had not transformed. Her second question was what had happened to draw such an extreme reaction from him, if indeed the violent transformations were due to his emotions rather than the act of transforming itself.

Whatever the case, Princess Zelda kept her face carefully unaffected as she faced the Counsel of Advisors seated in front of her around their traditional large table. The chill of snow outside the castle made the inside of it rather cold as well, and so all around the chamber candles were lit, and a fire had been started in the hearth. All were dressed in warmer clothes, with their winter coats hanging in a nearby closet and a servant ready to hand them out. The Crown Princess wore an elaborate violet gown with gold embroidered Triforces and a shawl draped over her shoulders, arms, and hands. With the finger foods and warm Romany Milk, it would have been a pleasant gathering had it not been for the tension buzzing in the air between the Princess and her advisors.

"You cannot deny the demands of the common populace, Princess. They are united in their desire, and we of the Counsel quite agree with them."

"I have already told you, Rauru," Zelda said, "I will not send our army on another campaign so soon after their return. It would be madness, especially with winter upon us."

"Winter upon us? Yes, winter upon us! Winter upon us and few families have enough food to make it through, even with the apples. They need more, and your beloved General is quite capable of running a quick Campaign."

Zelda pursed her lips in irritation at the less-than-subtle slur on Link, but didn't respond to the prod. It would only confirm the rumors of their relationship, and ruin what sway she and Link currently held over the people's hearts. Instead she tapped her fingertips together on the table, long nails clicking rhythmically. Her expression was kind but unrelenting as she moved her intense cerulean gaze over each person gathered.

"I have studied the apples," she said, bringing up an argument that was quickly becoming old. "Our Castle Alchemists say that they are entrenched in black magic that causes this strange addiction that has taken a hold of the people. They want the apples, but I swear that nothing good ever comes of black magic." Even as Zelda spoke the words, Link's image came up in her mind. Who was she to say nothing good came of it? The Wolf Crystal was black magic of the darkest kind, but plenty of good had come of it. What if Count Durtain's motives truly weren't evil and good really could come of this evil fruit? What if she was wrong to refuse the people what they asked?

"Magic has long been gone from Hyrule," said one of the oldest advisors on the Counsel. "How can the alchemists, many who are younger than myself, recognize something they have never truly encountered? I believe their diagnosis is wrong, and both the Counsel and the people stand behind me."

Zelda laced and unlaced her fingers again, her trademark sign that something was bothering her. The man was right. She fished around in her mind for something to counter with, something to sway her counsel against this decision she knew was wrong. How could she explain an instinct they would never understand or believe without extensive logic and concrete proof? And how could she get concrete proof of magic, when the man was right—it didn't really exist anymore, and few were left who even knew it had once thrived in their land.

When the Princess didn't respond immediately, Counsel Leader Rauru read her signs of indecision like a book and took her silence as an opportunity. "Your majesty," he said, rising to his feet and producing a large scroll from inside the huge, sweeping arms of his robe. "If you will look at this scroll you will see the names and signatures or personal marks of almost every person of every province and city of Hyrule. It is a clear majority, if not all. They are demanding royal action. You did not support them before, and they demand that you support them now."

Zelda took the scroll, unrolled it, and began looking at it closely. It was just as he had said. "The only province not to sign this is Ordona Province," she remarked.

"They are a small ranching village of little importance. If you look closely you will see the name of the shopkeeper and her husband, so our messengers from there told us, but no others would sign. They have rejected the black fruit claiming it upset their goats and milk production."

Zelda rolled up the scroll and set it on the table in front of her, glaring at it as if it were the sole cause of her predicament. "I do not personally sanction this decision," she said, voice stubbornly defiant.

The older Counsel member spoke again. "If you do not, Princess, then you are setting yourself in direct opposition to the people. Ultimately this country belongs to them, not you, and it is they who give you your power."

Zelda shook her head and raised her chin, firelight glittering off of the jewels in her tiara. "No," she said, "I am answerable to the Goddesses, and only they can choose to either sanction me or remove me." She sighed now and her shoulders drooped a little. "But you are right. I love the people of this land, and if this is what they want then I have no choice. I will support your campaign. Pass me the document."

Rauru passed her a large piece of parchment detailing the course of action that Hyrule and its army would now be embarking on. She had already read it over, and now she signed it with a gold quill and royal violet ink. She then placed the quill in its ink well and gently blew on the ink to help it dry.

"General Verdelupo and I will personally approve and decide every detail of this Campaign. In that you will have no say. Do not make the announcement to your nobles and provinces until I give you permission. Do you understand? This is an order, not a request."

Murmurs of agreement passed through the room, and the meeting was dismissed. Feeling much older than she was, Zelda stood and rubbed her temples with her thumb and finger. Forrad made his way out of a corner where he had been waiting and bowed.

"Your Highness," he said.

The Princess touched his shoulder and then handed him the signed parchment. "You know what to do with this," she said, "and what needs to happen next."

"Indeed," said the old personal advisor. "And, if I may comment, you have done everything in your power to stop this. All we can do now is pray that the Goddesses will watch over us."

Zelda nodded, keeping her face carefully blank. "Thank you Forrad," she whispered, "but I feel that there must have been something more…I have done my people a great disservice today."

Forrad didn't comment. He touched her cheek with his shaky wrinkled hands, and then shuffled away to do as she asked. The Princess needed some time alone.

Zelda retrieved her heavy coat as she left the chamber and ambled her way toward the gardens with her eyes on her boot-clad feet. As she neared the outside world she could feel the cold already nipping at her nose and knew that this would be a very cold winter. They needed all the supplies they could get, but how the Princess longed for another way to get those supplies. She tried the neighboring tribes but they were hurting as well, and none of Hyrule's neighbor countries were close enough or well-off enough to really help. She had already tried those channels long before this horrible, fateful day.

Deep in thought, Zelda walked out a ground floor doorway and to the barren gardens. The snow of the night before had turned to slush, as the sun was already high in the winter sky, and the grass squished under her boots. A single bird sang. The wind moaned.

The quick squish-squashing of running boots jolted Zelda from her numb reverie. Ikal dropped out of a tree as if from nowhere, always by the Princess's side, and stepped in front of her monarch and friend with a long Sheikah dagger ready.

Link rounded the corner at full speed, his eyes wide and bloodshot, and his hair scraggly and wild. He skidded to a halt in front of Ikal and growled at her, pacing back and forth in front of the two women with bent knees and hands balled into fists.

"I will not let you near her until you calm down, Link," Ikal said, watching his movements with her red eyes. "As you are, you are dangerous to her."

Link stopped himself and bent over, crouching on the ground and clutching his head. "I am not an animal. I am not an animal. I am not an animal…" He took some deep breaths and stayed like that, clutching his head and murmuring to himself.

Zelda touched Ikal's shoulder and nodded. "Watch for onlookers," she whispered, then crouched by Link's side. Without saying a word she touched his hands. Link twitched, a lupine growl ripping from his throat. Zelda paused and withdrew her hand, then took a deep breath. "Link," she whispered, taking his left hand and drawing it toward her. "Link look at me."

He did look at her, and his eyes were wild and angry. He moved his right hand as if to hit the Princess, and she cringed away from him.

The blow never fell. Zelda opened her eyes and saw Link looking at her, his hands open-palmed and shaking in front of him. "I…I…."

"Shh…." Zelda placed her hand on his cheek, rubbing with her thumb. "I understand. I forgive you, it's okay. Just calm down. What happened?"

Link swallowed and took a couple deep breaths. Sanity began to return to his mind. "I…we are in big trouble," he said.

"What do you mean, Link?" Zelda asked, furrowing her brow. Link launched into a recollection of all that had happened and what he overheard. As each detail came to light, Zelda's eyes began to share the horror she had seen in Link's. Questions bombarded her, and fear as well.

"If they bring a request like that before you, don't sign it Princess! That's his plan all along!"

Zelda held a gloved hand over her mouth. She was shaking her head. When she finally she spoke, her words were a mere breath between them. "What have I done?" she said. "It is too late…I just signed it."

**0000000000000000000**

**Author's Note**:

If you haven't been noticing, once again the pace has steadily been picking up. Sorry to leave you off on a cliff hanger but…well…okay I'm not sorry. Haha! This chapter was delayed because I just moved, but I took time out of unpacking to finish it and post it.

In other news, I did some important work on this story. Fixed all the breaks in every chapter (thanks ffnet…grr) and very important! I actually changed an entire scene in the "Temple of Shadows" chapter, where she leaves the land of death. Check it out if you want. It doesn't ultimately affect the story, but it's much better this way. Creepy and wonderful.

I have a request: I need some major help! I need someone to volunteer to read through all of The Hero of Wolves and fix typos, mistakes, etc. I've been trying because I know it's important, but I just can't do it and write new chapters. If you are interested, PM me or use the e-mail provided on my profile. I updated the profile with an e-mail specifically for your use.

Thanks for reading and please review!  
Until next time,

_~The Wolfess_


	27. Manifestation

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Manifestation**

In the depths of the forest shadows leapt through the trees. Black uniforms melded to their forms like second skins blended with the dark of the night sky and silver hair shimmered alongside beams of starlight. They moved as wind through the barren tree branches, a mass of moving darkness that scared nearby animals and made the cold winter night more frigid.

They called themselves the Shinobi—an ancient Sheikah word simply meaning "Darkness". It was a fitting term for these children of Darkness. None had ever lived who were more at home in the pitch black of night than they. No mortal had ever walked the earth that seemed to suck the light out of the sky around them. They were armed black holes bearing death in their hands and leaving death in their wake. Teela traveled at the front of her clan. Her violet eyes were hard as amethyst and glinted like the edge of a dagger in moonlight. The harsh, beautiful planes of her face were still as stone and lined with anger, but her body's movements were without hitch. She was water over a bed of rocks; she was smoke from the mouth of a volcano.

On that day, when the Sheikah betrayed their own kin for the sake of an incompetent girl masquerading as a ruler, some twenty Sheikah had come with the fallen matriarch. They donned black uniforms with silver lining, tied their hair, and armed themselves. They followed Teela out of the cavern with their hearts full of sorrow and their heads bowed in shame. The blue lighting of their home cavern shimmered in their eyes for the last time, and then they climbed out and never looked back. That night they camped in the nearby mountains. Full of sorrow, everyone looked to Teela for guidance. What would be their mission now that they had abandoned their people? What would they live for if not for the Sheikah? Who or what were they now?

As Teela looked on them she felt the first creeping of fear. Had she chosen the wrong way? What _would_ they do now? As if whispered by the very darkness in which they hid, Teela knew the answer deep in her soul. She rallied her people, preached hope and the holiness of their decision, and gave them a new identity. They would only wear the black uniforms, and the Sheikah Eye upon them would be changed from red to a brilliant violet. A fourth triangle was added to the symbol to represent their exile—an upside-down triangle underneath the eye, replacing the tear drop added hundreds of years ago to symbolize the Sheikah's sorrow over betraying the Royal family and their pledge to never do it again. That tear would no longer be needed. They were now a wholly different clan of Sheikah, the Shinobi, and they felt no sorrow and no shame.

Teela preached that light had been tainted, causing their brethren to abandon the ties of blood for the sake of an alliance. Example after example she recounted for them, tales of old and tales of today already burned into the psyche of every Sheikah, and twisted them. Light was tainted. Light brought war and death and pain. Only in the darkness of their caverns had the Sheikah ever found solace. In the darkness they found sustenance, companionship, resources, and peace. Darkness hid them in shadow like a mother's embrace until light forced it to recede. Darkness taught them the silence of night and how to disappear inside of it, joining it like another cell in a huge body. Darkness taught them how to fight and kill through the unseen dangers of night.

"_Why follow the light?"_ she preached. _"What has it done for the Sheikah?"_ It had enslaved them, exposed them, and put them in harm's way. It forced them to go places they did not desire to go, and took away the freedom to govern themselves without eternal servitude to a crown that had not earned it. A shadow cannot exist without light to push it around. Light had the power to destroy a shadow without any king of struggle. The Sheikah, the Shadow Clan, were slaves to a power they could not ally with without being destroyed eventually.

"_We are free! Our eyes reflect the night sky as light first leaves it. Our eyes are the color of purification. The Sheikah are slaves and their eyes reflect the blood that is on their heads. Do not be ashamed. We have been awakened. We have a Father who takes us under his wing, not a Master that we serve. We are children of darkness. Yet we cannot abandon our brothers as they abandoned us—we must awaken them. We must set them free. We must assassinate the Queen of Light—Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. This is our act of love. May their eyes be opened."_

Behind her were a small band of five Shinobi handpicked for tonight's mission. One by one they were working on invading Hyrule Castle Town and Hyrule Castle itself. They managed to infiltrate the underbelly of Castle Town quite easily and their agents inside were researching and reporting back what they found out for further plans. Of particular interest to the Shinobi was a noble, Count Durtain of Rashak, who exuded an odd dark aura that the Shinobi in Castle Town felt kinship with. Teela set a trusted agent to watch the peculiar noble for any suspicious activities.

A few weeks ago a team of slithery men from the less noble population of Hyrule entered the Rashak Mansion and left with a mission. A few Shinobi followed them for a few weeks to observed. They reported that these men were following the tracks of the Shinobi clan like bloodhounds hunting rabbit, and Teela was going to catch them.

There were ten men on their trail, and six of the Shinobi—deceptively good odds in the hunters' favor. If Teela wanted they could move through the shadows completely unseen and kill all of the bumbling Hylians with ease, but that wouldn't support her cause. That would get her no information. Instead, they purposefully darted through beams of moonlight to give the Hylian hunters the impression they were gaining on the Shinobi. Now the Dark Clan leapt out of the treetops and stopped their mad dash in the mouth of a cave.

Teela crouched back in the shadows. A Shinobi named Zara was on her left with long, flowing silver hair, and another Shinobi on her right, a male named Jadus, fell into place likewise. The hunters would be on them soon. Teela turned and made a quick series of hand signals to her violet-eyed followers in the silent language of the Sheikah. They nodded and disappeared in the black depths of the cave.

Now they waited. Their warm breath was even as it rose up before their faces in the winter cold. It was a few minutes before their sharp ears could hear the hunters bounding through the undergrowth. Teela gave another silent signal and stepped out just enough so that she would be seen. Zara and Jadus followed, standing just behind her.

The large hunting party tripped out of the undergrowth. They wore leathers, some with light chainmail underneath, carrying swords, bows, spears, axes, and even maces. A small, lithe man with a bow over his shoulders was leading the party. He held up his hand for silence, and the nine following him stilled, their muscles tense and steaming with sweat. Teela took another step forward, the moonlight flashing off of her hair, and flashed her razor smile. The front man started and motioned toward her. While they ran toward the cave, Teela and her two wingmen also disappeared in the darkness.

The overly-excited men ran blindly into the darkness, their clumsy footfalls echoing off the cavern walls. They began to slow and grope along the walls, murmuring to each other.

"It's so dark in here…"

"Is that you Jon?"

"Who stepped on me toes?"

"Quite men! We've just about got them!"

"Sure sure, and we can definitely catch the bandits who can see in the dark when we are blind…"

"Shut your trap!"

"Who's gunna make me? I'm tired of taking your orders!"

"Who is it that tracked them down? Me!"

"Hey hey, calm you two—this is no way to catch…"

They all screamed as a large net fell on top of them. Unseen fingers snapped and blue fires appeared hovering over the palms of twenty Shinobi in a circle around the hunters.

"Indeed," Teela drawled, "That is no way to catch a Shinobi. But then, no one can catch a Shinobi."

"How did you—"

"Silence!" Teela snapped, her violet eyes flashing with dark fire. "You may speak when I ask you to." Silence hung in the air for a few minutes, then Teela began again. "We've known you were following us for weeks, silly Hylians. I thought about just killing you, but I'm curious about the reason you are here. Why does the Count want us dead?"

The front man blinked green eyes, looking confused. "Dead?" His voice sounded baffled. "He doesn't want to kill you. Quite the opposite—he wants an alliance with you."

Teela narrowed her eyes. She began walking around the trapped hunting group, her feet making no sound on the cavern floor. "An alliance? Why should we tamper with light? We ally with no Hylian."

The man swallowed, sweat forming on his brow. "Madame forgive me…I merely relay a message. He said you would understand this: When tyranny masquerades as light, darkness must squelch it. Your father calls for you."

The Shinobi were silent as Teela continued to prowl, a thoughtful look on her face. She drummed her fingers on the butt of the dagger in her other hand. Finally she came to a stop in front of the men and smiled like a beast before the first bite.

"Very well. I am intrigued. We will meet with this bold, foolish Count."

The Hylian men sighed and shuffled about, looking to their captors for aid. The Shinobi looked to Teela. Teela took a deep breath of the dark night air and smiled.

"Kill the light dwellers."

The cavern went dark.

!

It was two days before word of the encounter and Teela's new plan of action reached all of the individual Shinobi throughout Hyrule. On the third day, the dark children met in the sewer systems of Castle Town near the Rashak Mansion. It was dank, smelly and quiet in the underground passages of the town. The Shinobi emerged from the shadows one by one; darkness seemed to cling to their bodies for a moment before reluctantly sliding back to its position. Teela emerged last, silver-haired and imposing with her efficient silver bun and steeled purple eyes glaring from such a hard, angry face. All heads accounted for, she turned without a word and disappeared up a ladder on the wall through a gutter near the mansion. The rest of the Shinobi clan followed like smoke curling up a vent.

They entered the mansion in a strategic way mapped out by the Shinobi already assigned to watch the house. Some entered through the basement, others through various windows in the two upper stories of the house. They infiltrated every area of the house as silent as death, prowling the hallways.

Sharp violet eyes peeped from the darkness upon the sleeping members of the house. From their pouches, each stealthy warrior produced a black leather flask and black cloth. From the flasks they dabbed a few drops of a liquid inside that reeked of a poignant stench onto the cloths. Held over the nose and mouth of a Hylian, the fumes from the cloth would knock them out for sixteen hours, at which point they would emerge as if from a world of nothingness with pounding headaches and stomach aches that would keep them in bed for another few hours.

First the guards, then the servants from highest rank to lowest, moving down in threat until only the Count himself was left untouched. Teela, having entered through the front door when assured that the house was secured, sauntered to his bedside. She removed a dagger from a sheath on her thigh and pressed it to his throat in one languid movement.

Count Durtain jolted awake the moment cold steel touched his skin, but didn't move so far as to slit his own throat.

"Here we are '_Daddy_'. You called?" Chuckling rippled through the room and faded, leaving an echo to float down the halls of the mansion.

Durtain swallowed, but in the depths of his red eyes there was nothing but murderous confidence. "On behalf of one greater than myself," he stated.

"Hmm." Teela tapped her lip with her other hand. "Not the emotion that I was expecting to see in your eyes." She leaned toward him, dagger still held in place. "Nor the color. Though I do not believe this man is a Sheikah—the color of his eyes is darker, more akin to fire and blood, than the clear red of the Sheikah eye."

"Very studious of you," Durtain remarked.

Teela's eyes narrowed. "Quiet, fool. Your life dangles on my whim and you jest at me." Durtain met her glare unflinching. The Shinobi matriarch chose to let it pass. "What did you want from us?"

"Remove this blade from my neck and I will show you."

Teela pressed the dagger more into his throat, drawing a thin line of blood before she stepped back and sheathed it. "Very well. Do not try anything foolish; none in your house will rise to save you."

Durtain sat up in his bed and whipped the blood off with the back of his hand. "Follow me then. I merely wish for you to meet my master."

"A Count of Hyrule in servitude…interesting." Teela said as she followed, motioning the rest of the Shinobi to follow. Durtain led them to his sealed study, pausing as he wondered how all of them would fit. The Shinobi solved that problem for him: they scaled the walls and ceiling, while a few stood on the floor, and the rest stood guard outside.

"Thank you, Madam…?"

"Teela. Just Teela."

"Thank you Teela. If you will pardon me, I must prepare for his entrance. He is very….particular." The doors were closed and sealed, bathing the already dark room in complete darkness. Durtain went through the motions of the now-familiar summoning ritual while the Shinobi looked on in amused curiosity. At least, they were amused until the darkness moved and condensed. They tensed while the fire from the candle did its strange dance inside the rupee and no longer on the candle itself. They shifted when Durtain's eyes were flooded with glowing, fiery red, and looked at Teela for guidance when the red floated away from his head, leaving brown eyes behind, and rested within the darkness itself. When the shadow form stood before them in its violent, dark glory they felt a surge of wholeness, akin to joy but not so full of light, surge within their breasts.

Teela, a stricken look on her features, dropped to her knees at its feet. Durtain, his work done, sat in a corner to observe.

The Darkness stepped toward the Shinobi Matriarch and touched her head with its dark hand. Darkness slid from it at the contact and down her skin like snakes, leaving trails of black along her skin that faded to nothingness. Teela leaned into the touch, trembling the littlest bit. _"Daughter…"_ the form hissed, "_You are home._" Teela opened her mouth to respond, but no sound came out. Tendrils of darkness slithered out of the form, caressing all the Sheikah in the room and outside with similar effects. _"How I have longed to draw you to me, for I have seen the abuse you have endured at the hands of light. I have seen your struggles and exile. I have seen the tyranny of the Princess and her 'hero' swine. I have come to set you and all people free from bondage."_

Tears without sound slid down the Shinobi's faces. They all bowed their heads in sorrow and submission. The form slid its dark hand under Teela's chin and raised her face to look at it. _"Child…how do you feel?"_

Without hesitation, Teela said, "whole. Home. We have been searching for you since the dawn of our creation…That's how I feel."

"_Good…good, my daughter. Then answer me this: would you—would all of you—do anything it takes to conquer the light?"_ The Shinobi responded with a resounding confirmation. _"Would you trust what I say, even if you don't yet understand?"_ Again confirmation. _"Would you kill for me?"_ Confirmation. _"Would you die for me?"_ Confirmation. _"Would you sacrifice for me?" _

"Yes," Teela said, standing to her feet and bowing at the waist. "Yes we will. Without hesitation. We…I…can feel you inside. I don't understand. Who are you? What's happening to us?"

"_In time, my dear, you will know these answers. For now, I have a task for you."_

"Anything."

"_Find Zelda's precious General and bring me a piece of his flesh. Pick a male among your number who has the height and build of the General to perform this task. He and he alone should touch the flesh offering. When he has brought it to me, much will be made known."_

Teela straitened and turned to a man in a corner of the ceiling. "Jadus, can I trust you with this? You match the General's build and are one of my most trusted."

The Shinobi in question flipped down from the ceiling and landed in a crouching bow in front of Teela and the Darkness. "I will leave at once. The sun will not rise twice before I have retrieved the desired object."

The Darkness chuckled with approval and dispersed. This time, however, it did not reenter Count Durtain—it filled each Shinobi, their violet eyes glowing with a crimson rim in the darkness.

!

There was an empty feeling to the silent Hylrulian night. The citizens of Castle Town huddled in their shacks with little fires and piles off black apples, whispering rumors of dissent and rebellion and dreams of a valley brimming with black fruit. Meanwhile a Princess was sleepless and fretting over shadows in the depths of her city and darkness growing in her heart, while a Count wrapped himself in the plots of evil. Hands seemed clasped over the ears and eyes of the city like a frightened child underneath her bed.

A jittery, sleepless General wandered through the snow-covered royal garden in the twilight hours of this night. Snow drifted through the air like a mist of small flakes condensing upon the ground, and only the torches on the walls shown light into the world. Link could not sleep. Not that he knew what was bothering him, but there was a presence in the air this night that made his hair stand on end. He paced with his sword in his left hand and shield in his right, wearing his customary green tunic and a wild look in his eyes. The wind seemed to hiss in the branches. The clouds in the moonless night seemed to have an abnormal red tint. There was darkness here.

!

Just above where Link paced, a clueless princess had fallen into a restless slumber. She tossed and turned, groaned and whimpered, as her nightmare—always the same one—played over and over in her dreams. Dark trees. Shadows moving. Darkness. Invasion. Pain. Suffering. Hopelessness. Little did she know about her ever-loyal guard down below, the dark meeting that had just taken place, or the gray-white figure blending into the shadows of her rose bushes.

!

The figure did not move.

He did not make a sound.

He barely breathed.

He was a shadow in the snow—nothing more.

!

Boot prints were covered up by fresh powder the moment they appeared behind Link's step. The wolf man stopped and looked at the shadows of some nearby bushes, but saw nothing there. Torchlight flickered over the snow gathering on the shoulders of Link's tunic and the top of his hat. He didn't notice. Again he stopped, looked at a bush he swore just moved. Nothing.

Link sighed and sheathed his blade. "I'm just being paranoid again," he murmured to himself, trying to shake the feeling that something was very wrong in his world. He had been having trouble keeping the wolf in check lately. Maybe this agitation had something to do with that? He should just go home, drink some warm milk, and sit by the fireplace until he fell asleep. Surely warm milk would calm his nerves.

Placing his shield over the sword hilt, Link brushed the snow from his shoulders and began toward the garden exit.

It happened so quickly Link didn't have time to react. A bush moved. What seemed to be a shadow darted off of it. The shadow was a blur of speed and movement. Link reached toward it. It ducked his arm and hit his chest with a small blade. Link swung a punch. It met only air, and there was another strike to his back.

Link stumbled, tripped over his own feet, and landed with a hard thunk and a flurry of snow. Link spun onto his back and looked around, reaching for a knife in his belt.

He got the knife out, but didn't manage to get it up. A gray boot stomped on his hand and ground it into the snow, causing Link's fingers to let go of the hilt. A silver-haired man in a gray-white uniform reached down and took the knife from Link's hand, a dagger already in the man's right hand.

Link wriggled his left hand while his right hand crept toward a knife strapped to the violet-eyed attacker's calf. A movement from the attacker, like lightning or a flicker of fire, and the man's other boot had landed on Link's right hand as well. Link tried to move, but this lithe, quick attacker had an advantage over him—literally.

The man crouched and grabbed Link's hair. Link shouted and squinted his eyes shut while the attacker dragged Link's head forward. With his other hand the man held the knife in such a way that he could still use three of his fingers. With those three fingers he pulled the tip of Link's right ear forward.

In a quick, smooth movement the knife—Link's own knife—ripped through the flesh of his ear.

Link screamed, blood pouring from what was left of his ear down the side of his face and coloring the snow a hot, steaming crimson. Lights in the castle began to flicker on and heads poked out. Link held his ear with both of his hands. Finding himself free, Link struggled to his feet and drew his sword, holding his ear with his right hand as blood seeped through the fingers.

He didn't see anyone. His vision blurred at the edges, his still recovering body protesting this new loss of blood.

Link looked to the right near the wall. Nothing. To the left near the bushes. Nothing. Up the castle tower. Nothing. Behind him. Nothing.

There was no one there to be seen.

There weren't even footprints in the snow.

!

The dark room had been emptied out. Around the edges of Durtain's study the Shinobi stood against the walls in a black, barely-visible line and packed on the walls. In the middle Count Durtain crouched with his book and summoning materials next to a single, oddly muscular Shinobi wearing a gray-white that seemed blinding in the dark. A trail of red seeped down the palm of his stained white glovs. His moist fingers held the tip of a bloody ear aloft.

The last murmurs of Durtain's voice died down. He backed away and took a place by the door to watch. There was a hiss in the room, as of air from a long-sealed crypt, and the darkness condensed, almost solid and yet rolling like billows of smoke within the confines of the man-like outline.

"_My son,"_ said Darkness, _"you have done well."_

Jadus bowed at the waist, still holding the ear up in offering. "I fulfilled my task and my promise. Here is the desired piece of flesh, retrieved from the General's right ear."

A hissing chuckle. _"Good. Very good! Rise and look me in the eye, for this day you have become a man in my sight. A leader among your clan. An example."_

Jadus did as directed, clearly glowing with pride and yet confused as to why he was still holding the blood-covered flesh.

"_I must ask more of you,"_ said the voice. _"will you aid me?" _Jadus bowed in response, and Darkness grinned. _"Touch the flesh to my lips, and do not let go of it."_

The faint outline of lips could suddenly be made out in the swirling mass of Darkness. The white Shinobi did as directed, pressing the foul bloody part to the lips of Darkness. A snake-like tongue slithered out of the mouth, wrapping around the ear and moving up to coil around Jadus's hand. His figners twitched, but he could not move his hand. They were bound together—the child of darkness, Darkness itself, and Link's ear.

The blood on the ear began to glow. It oozed down both hands—the real hand and the hand of Darkness—and up their arms in unnatural amounts and with unnatural movement. The room filled with an air of wary excitement. The Shinobi, so full of Darkness as their hearts were now, could not help but feel a sense of excitement as the blood spread over Jadus's body and the body of Darkness. They were oblivious to the look of terror in Jadus's eyes as the blood sealed his mouth shut, covered his nose, then began to circle his eyes. They could not hear the scream that the ritual prevented. But they did see the ecstasy on the face of Darkness.

There was a clear face now, with distinct features. As the blood passed over his limbs it was absorbed and they became defined. Left behind was an eerie black appendage that seemed to radiate an ethereal bluish glow. The feet first and the hands, then the legs and arms, torso, neck, and lastly the head. The last dribble of blood disappeared at the same spot where the ear first touched Darkness's lips.

Jadus was ashen and empty. He stared and breathed, but seemed unable to move. His hand had dropped, and the ear lay on the ground.

Opposite this shell of a being stood an ethereal being made of darkness formed in the image of Link. It lifted its hands with a huge grin on its face and examined the impressions of its new image. It laughed, and the Shinobi still did not see their dying comrade. Their laughed joined that of Darkness as it tested out its limbs and shadow equipment, wisps of smoke trailing off of it every time it moved.

It spun and scooped the ear off the floor in one elegant movement. Darkness was no longer laughing. As the chuckles of the Shinobi still resounded in the chamber and Durtain sat passive in the background of the action, Darkness forced Jadus's mouth open and placed the ear on his tongue. _"Eat it,"_ it demanded.

Without thought or any sign of possessing his own will, the shell of Jadus chewed and swallowed. He stood with his mouth hanging open, as if awaiting further command.

"_My children, what this son will do for me today is a noble thing and will be commended in the afterlife. As you see, I am still nothing but smoke and still could not leave the darkness of this room. And so your brother will sacrifice his body for my life, if he is willing. Will you do this for me, my son?"_

The shell nodded, but it still did not seem to think for itself. The Shinobi opened there mouths to protest, but a murderous look passed over Darkness's face and they held their tongues like reprimanded children.

Darkness smiled, if you could call it that, and turned to the shell of the white Shinobi. It stood with its toes parallel to Jadus's, its hands and fingers parallel, their whole bodies. Face to face they stood, and the room held its breath. Darkness bent its head.

Slowly at first the top of Darkness's head seemed to bend and warp. The smoky body seeped into Jadus through his open mouth, his nostrils, and even his ears. As more of Darkness filled the body of Jadus the process sped up, and his's body began to twitch and morph. The bones cracked and reset themselves, the muscled rolled into balls and stretched themselves back over the bones, the skin twisted and bunched and changed. A horrific sound emerged from Jadus's throat—part screech, part moan—and the last of the Darkness disappeared.

The body had fallen. It lay curled in the fetal position, no longer white. Several moments passed. The Shinobi shuffled and looked at Teela, whose eyes were wide and mildly horrified. She swallowed, nodded to the others, and took a step forward. She tapped the body's shoulder.

"Jadus, are you…"

The hand flew up and grabbed her wrist in an iron grip. It was gauntlet clad, just like the gauntlets the General wore with his favored green tunic, and the skin on the fingers was so brown it was almost black.

The body moved. It got its feet under it and used its other hand to help while it rose to stand. It tottered a little, confused by the weight of its new form, but stood nonetheless.

It was the same height and shape as Link. It had the same features, the same build, and even the same hero's clothes, only in shades of black and gray. On its back were replicas of the General's sword and shield. Only its eyes and hair remained unchanged. Its eyes were two pools of crimson with no iris or pupil, the same eyes possessed by Darkness itself, and its hair was a dirty silver—all that remained of Jadus.

Still holding Teela's wrist, Darkness raised its other hand and turned it in front of his face. A grin spread like butter on dark toast. It blinked, looked at Teela, and laughed.

"Greetings daughter! Did I shock you?" He still did not release her wrist.

She shook her head, violet eyes wide and betraying her fear. Darkness laughed again and released her. She stepped back, rubbing her wrist.

"I am a new creation," Darkness said, addressing them all, "never before existing in this world. I am flesh among you. Touch my skin. Feel my breath on your necks. I am real." He reached behind him and grasped the sword's black hilt. The blade as it slid from its sheath was blood red. He twirled it in front of him a few times, then merely held it loosely in his left hand. "You may call me Link, for I am now his dark reflection. I am his opposite in every way. A Dark Link."

Teela reached forward, her hand slow and unsteady. Dark Link touched her hand. For the first time in his long existence, the entity of Darkness felt the pleasure of human touch. He laughed.

**0000000000000000000**

**Author's Note**:

Hello again! This did take a little long to post, but it's kind of an important chapter so I wanted to take my time. Didn't want to rush it. Now you know who's been orchestrating this all along! Dark Link, manifestation of darkness and evil, and now he has a body. Ha ha!

Thanks to those who volunteered to edit! I am in your debt! Also, we are four chapters from the end. O_O

When it is done you all will get to see the other reason why this has been delayed…muah ha ha. You'll like it I'm sure.

Thanks for reading and please review!  
Until next time,

_~The Wolfess_


	28. The Valley Campaign

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Valley Campaign**

Lights flickered to life in the castle. The shouting of alert guards became increasingly audible to Link's impaired hearing. His vision was still blurred at the edges, hot blood still running down his hand and right arm, while Gorons pounded a war song in his head. Thinking quick, Link darted to the building and felt along the wall for a particularly wide crevice that he suspected was there. He had smelled the dank air from the hidden servant passage as a wolf and prayed that his human hands could find it now. The clanking of armored feet drew nearer, along with torch lights, and Link's bloody fingertips groped along the stone wall.

Just as the boot steps were approaching, Link's fingers stumbled over an unusual break in the stone. Link hooked his trembling fingers in the crevice and heaved all of his weight backwards from them. The stone pulled backwards, stale air wafting out of the passage while the injured hero jumped inside and yanked the wall shut again with the iron framework on the inside of the fake wall. He waited for the guards to pass, ignoring the way his head pounded and spun, before he turned around and peered down the black passage.

Hylian eyes unable to see anything, Link bit his lip and reached into his pouch. He had avoided touching the stone or even looking at it since his discovery at Durtain's mansion and the Army Compound. Now the glowing orange marks pulsated before Link's face, shining translucent light over his elfin features drawing tight in pain and longing. The wolf could see in the dark. The wolf could react quicker than he. The wolf wouldn't have been weak enough to be ambushed…the wolf would have sensed the attacker long before and prevented whatever evil his strange assailant has in store. The wolf could do anything.

Link tied the chord on and touched it with his fingers. His body changed and contracted, twisting around and growing fur and other various appendages with renewed pain and ecstasy. How good the pain of transformation felt to Link. How much like coming home.

Able to see in the dark now, the wolf followed a faint familiar scent down the corridor. It led through a series of twists and turns and up a couple inclines. The bleeding was beginning to slow, the wolf's hair matting down around it and causing the wound to clot more quickly. The inside of Link's ear was ringing, but most of the damage was on the outside cartilage and had not damaged the delicate inner-workings. Why had the assailant left him with his life, let alone with the ability to hear? Surely one as skilled as he would have been able to do worse. By all logic Link should be dead and yet he was not. Why?

Link slowed as the scent increased and he found himself at a dead end. He closed his striking cerulean eyes, lifting his muzzle to the draft moving through the corridor. The tip of his nose twitched, his jaw dropping in a toothy canine grin, as the peculiar scent of roses and parchment filled his lungs.

He was about to take a step forward and push open the fake wall before him when his good ear twitched. The divine beast turned around, his fur standing on end, and crouched down with his piercing gaze straight ahead. She emerged out of the very edge of his canine sight. Her blurry figure came into light, then into focus. Besides the black and silver she wore, Link immediately recognized her warrior scent and shifty nature, and he relaxed.

Link sat back on his haunches and tilted his head, ears perked, as Ikal approached. His tail twitched and swayed, betraying his hurry, but he did not growl or attack her. He was beginning to become aware of her shadowy ways. In a strange way, she reminded him of Midna with her red hair, deadly shadow ways, and dry sense of humor.

"Why do you approach the Princess's chamber in this manner, wolf?" said Ikal, the low tones of her husky voice moving like smoke around his ears. Her tone was unkind and suspicious, and Link could see the glitter of Sheikah needles in her fingers.

He whimpered and lowered his belly to the floor, laying his head on his forepaws and tilting it. Ikal took a step forward and reached calloused fingers to touch his torn, bloody ear. Her brow creased, and Link growled a bit when her fingers rubbed too close to the cut. "My apologies," she murmured, and withdrew her hand. "You are injured. I would ask you more, but as you are…" she trailed off, casting a pointed gaze over his lupine form. Link lifted himself back to a sitting position and looked at the door, then back to Ikal.

"You know that I cannot let you see her like this, let alone allow you to enter a lady's chamber at night. She is the reigning monarch Link, not a young maid you can turn to on a whim at any time of the day or night. There is protocol, and even one such as the destined hero must obey it," Ikal paused, matching Link's angry look with one of her own, "despite what special exceptions Her Majesty and yourself have convinced each other to be true."

Link turned and walked toward the door anyway, making to ignore the warrior woman. Ikal moved as quick and silent as a shadow to stand in front of him, arms crossed and face severe.

"Come now," she said. "Take off your cursed stone and walk with me. I will tend to you. I have information you may find interesting."

Link hesitated, then huffed a canine sigh and tilted his head for her to reach the chord.

!

After a little walk, the hero found himself in a secret chamber relatively close to the Princess's room. It was bare and simple, containing merely a small bed, a dresser, and a large wooden chest. Ikal closed and locked the doors behind them, then motioned Link to the bed while she crossed to the chest. The wolf man watched her with his steady gaze, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the wolf stone's pouch. He could still feel it pulsing…calling…

"Link," Ikal stated. The hero blinked and furrowed his brow. She was looking at him expectantly.

"Did you…say something?" he murmured, voice soft.

In her hands the red haired Sheikah held some bandages, a cloth, and a healing liquid that looked like it would sting. She frowned at him. "I asked if you would take your cap off and pull your hair away from the ear so I can clean and dress it."

"Oh, sorry, yes." Link did so, and the Sheikah moved to the bed and sat next to him. Her hands were not gentle, but they were efficient and knowledgeable as she cleaned the wound, which did indeed hurt like the stings of a million hornets on his earlobe, but he sat in silent endurance. Ikal dabbed the liquid onto the cloth and rubbed the cloth together, forming light reddish foam. Blood now dried caked Link's neck and face, collecting around the earlobe in what was quickly becoming an infected, lightly scabbed wound. Link winced a little as the red liquid burned away the scabs and the infection. The blood and torn flesh bubbled and burned, hissing as if a hot brand were held to them as the liquid on the cloth melded the flesh together. When Ikal moved the cloth away and dabbed more liquid onto it, the wound was clean and completely scabbed over with flesh already beginning to form.

Zelda's guard wiped the blood off Link's face and neck, and then she took the bandages and wrapped them from the top of Link's head, around his right ear, under his jaw, around his left ear, and back to the top. She went around one last time, then tucked the bandage on the healthy left ear behind it, tugged it tight one last time, and tied it off at the top.

Link grunted in the best expression of thanks he could offer in the moment, and then put his cap back on. The knot was hidden quite nicely under the cap, but the rest of the bandage was very visible. There would be no hiding this slip up—he would be marked by it for the rest of his life. With a sigh, Link's shoulders slumped and he lowered his face into his hands.

"I've never seen anyone who moved that fast and was that strong," said Ikal, "except for two people." Link's head snapped up, his brow furrowed. Ikal nodded in answer to his unspoken question. "Yes, I saw the fight. By the time I got there, however, it was already too late. He had your ear in his hand and seemed about ready to finish the job when suddenly he looked at me and immediately escaped."

Link bowed his head, forearms resting on his knees with his hands dangling and his back bowed. "Thank you for saving my life," he murmured.

Ikal nodded. She stood and crossed over to a wooden bucket in the corner of the room. She dropped the rag in it, then closed the bottle and put it away. Link watched her move, made curious by the fact that her feet barely made a sound on stone floors that would have made his boot steps echo. She walked like a wraith, or a moving shadow cast by firelight.

"I will never forget his eyes," Ikal continued, leaning against the wall across from where Link sat and crossing her arms over her chest. "They were violet with an evil red rim much like the strange color often seen in Durtain's eyes."

Link frowned. "Violet? Didn't Zelda say that…"

"Yes," Ikal said. "That the eyes of the exiled Sheikah are violet."

Link straightened his back, frowning at the Sheikah woman. "Then does this mean that you know who the attacker was?"

Ikal looked away from Link's eyes, casting her gaze to the floor. "Yes I do," she murmured. "His name was Jadus, and he was my brother."

"Your brother?"

"The princess does not know I have a brother," Ikal continued. "Few people do. He was a shame to my family, always following Teela and her ways of darkness simply because her dark ways gave him the agility and speed he never possessed." Ikal paused, tracing the silver eye on her uniform. "You see, Link, our father was Sheikah, but our mother was Hylian. Jadus was my fraternal twin. I received our mother's hair color, but our father's Sheikah body. He, however, received our father's hair, but our mother's Hylian body type. He was thicker than normal Sheikah men, as well as stronger and slower. Brute strength is not valued in Sheikah society.

"His lack of Sheikan skill made him the lowest in his classes, and a laughing stock among his peers. I tried to help him, but he could not learn and despised me for taking the agility he felt should have been his. Eventually he left our family clan and began following Teela, the upcoming Matriarch. By some dark training he gained the speed he needed and accredited it to Teela's new ways. The only time I saw him after that was at Teela's right hand when she was taking the Princess hostage. He did not acknowledge my presence. Now that he is exiled, I cannot acknowledge his life. To me he is dead…and nothing but a dark ghost was seen in that garden tonight."

"Sheikah are that fast?" Link asked. Ikal nodded, and Link pushed himself to his feet. "As fast as a Sheikah, but as strong as me. He took me by surprise this time, but it will not happen again. Do you know what he wanted with my ear, Ikal?"

The red-haired Sheikah shook her head. "That I do not know, nor do I have a guess. The Princess will be more capable of answering that."

Link nodded once and turned to the door. Ikal laid her hand on his shoulder when his hand was on the doorknob. The wolf man turned to her, and she squeezed gently. "You are losing control of yourself Link." she said, stating facts rather than questions. "Be careful. Do not hurt her or Hyrule in your wild thirst for violence."

Link's jaw tensed as he clenched his teeth shut. He nodded again and left.

!

It was a few hundred meters through the servants' corridors to Zelda's chamber. Link stood at the iron framework, this time as a man and calm, and took a deep breath. His stomach churned a little and his palms sweated as he eased the hidden door open and slipped into the Princess of Hyrule's room.

Her room was dark, but Link's eyes were already adjusted to the darkness of the corridor. To him the moonlight through the window provided a daylight sun's worth of light. The room was dominated by a large canopied bed adorned with royal violet curtains embroidered with the Royal Family's emblem—the sacred phoenix headed by the symbol of the gods. Link rubbed the back of his left hand and took a deep breath, crossing to the bedside.

Given the ruckus he caused outside her window, Link half expected her not to be there. He crossed through the curtains draping from the bedposts as they swayed in the wind, and he neared the large mound of softly-colored quilts where a tangle of auburn red hair lay strewn over the pillows. The quilts were not tangled about her, but the Princess moved underneath them and her pale face was marred by a fearful expression. The wolf man kneeled by her bed, extending a calloused gloved hand to wipe the sweaty locks of hair from her face. In her sleep she turned her face into his touch.

"Zelda," he whispered. "Zelda wake up, something has happened."

The Princess moaned and sighed, but her eyelids fluttered open. Right away they widened, and she backed away from Link to the other side of the bed.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, drawing the quilts around her. "This is indecent! If someone discovered you here…"

"It would do what?" Link said, frowning. "What more can we salvage of our reputations when the country is already corrupted and as we speak the plot to overthrow your throne is coming to fruition?" Zelda's jaw was set and her face turned away, but she did not speak or open her mouth to answer. Indeed, she barely acknowledged his presence. Link fiddled with the quilt and continued. "Something happened tonight Zelda, and in my soul I feel a dark presence coming into the world. Can't you feel it too?"

Zelda nodded, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with her free hand. "A familiar darkness," she said, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"Yes." Link turned his face so that she could see his bandaged ear.

Zelda gasped. "Is your ear…"

"Gone?" Link offered. Zelda nodded. "Mostly. An assassin came to your garden tonight. He was of the exiled Sheikah clan. He attacked me with unparalleled speed, and before I could respond I was pinned to the ground and he took half of my ear with my own knife. Were it not for Ikal's well-timed presence, he would have killed me."

"Link…" Zelda moved toward him and laid her gentle hand over his bandaged ear, hesitating for a heartbeat just before she touched it. "I am glad that you are okay. Thank the Goddesses for that."

Link looked away from her. "I believe this action has something to do with the dark presence we both now feel."

"It is the same darkness I felt in the Temple of Shadow," said Zelda, "but much stronger. The same darkness that has been present in my dreams."

"Will you tell me what's been in your dreams?" Link asked, standing up and moving to a chair across the room. "Maybe we can make sense of them together."

Zelda held the quilt closer to her and cast her eyes down. "Link, not here, not now…please leave."

"But Zelda…"

"I am a Princess, Link." Zelda's voice was clipped. "You cannot simply enter the bedchambers of royalty, no matter the seriousness of the matter. I am dressed in naught but my nightshift and you a calloused warrior covered in wounds kneeling by my bed…I must preserve what I have of my reputation no matter the negative course of events. The people will never fully abandon their monarch. Trust me in that."

Link's head drooped and his heart dropped. Furrowing his brow at the sensation, he rubbed a hand over his chest and stood. "Yes my Lady," he said and bowed. "I'll leave you at once."

Link stood up and walked toward the wall panel, but just as he was about to step through it the Princes caught his hand. She had stood with the quilts gathered about her and extended one soft hand to touch his scarred fingers. Her large, sad cerulean eyes sparkled in the moonlight. "I have to preserve what dignity I have," she whispered. "To confirm their suspicions, whether false or true, would destroy what respect they still hold for me. Please understand. I am naught but a woman to many of them."

Link nodded. He squeezed her hand once, then slipped free of her grip and stepped out, closing the wall behind him.

!

A few hours later Zelda sent for him. Link was wandering around his empty mansion when the courier rapped on his door and delivered the message. Gorkenheim, having developed a new quietness about him, was ever around with his watchful eyes. He took the message and relayed it to Link, who dismissed him with an absent wave of his hand. The slippery man was always watching him, always just around the corner with his ears pressed to the walls. For all Link was at the mansion it was almost more Gorkenheim's than his, and Link wanted nothing to do with his undesired slave.

The message said that the General was to meet her in her morning meeting chamber to discuss "matters of State concerning the army and its recent campaign". He went to his bathroom branching off of the master bedroom and leaned his hands on the edge of the stone basin. It had fresh cool water in it, which he splattered over his face, carefully avoiding the bandages.

A mirror hung on the wall behind the basin. It reflected back at him the tired, haggard visage of himself. Link turned his head and fingered what was left of the ear. He sighed. _I'm a beast,_ he thought. _How did I even think it was remotely civilized or reasonable to enter the ruling monarch of Hyrule's bed chamber at night? What kind of animal am I becoming that I can't even remember basic rules of civilization? Rusl and the people of the village taught me these things too._ Link ran his calloused hands over the hardening planes of his still boyish face and pushed off of the basin. Determining that he would rectify his earlier behavior, the wolf man went to his wardrobe, carefully picked out for him by Shad of course before the team of adventurers had left Castle Town, and stood amid the outfit-styling mannequins around the chamber. He wanted to impress her, to look nice but not gaudy, casual but not grungy.

Link picked a gold version of his normal tunic off of a black mannequin. Its undergarments were black and there were accompanying gold-tinted boots and bracers. He changed into it and slung the green-handled master sword replica on his back, fastening the belt around his chest and slipping his shield over the hilt. Looking at himself in the mirror, Link adjusted the stocking cap on his head and tried to tame his scraggly bangs.

He exited his mansion to the stables in the back, where he saddled and mounted Epona. The horse whinnied and tossed her head, prancing a little as Link lead her out of the stables. It had been a while since he had ridden her. The hero patted the horse's neck and smiled, whispering in her ear before nudging her sides and steering her toward the Castle.

The streets were crowded and grungy as normal. The sallow-faced and hollow-eyed people of Castle Town wandered about peddling and trading the black fruit and anything associated with it. The number of beggars lining the sides of streets seemed to rise every day. Elderly, children, adults…it didn't seem to matter what age you were, the Black Apples affected you the same way. By the gate to the castle a lone mage with a long gray beard stood yelling and waving his arms about. Link recognized him as the man he had given large donations to near the west gate. As Link nodded to the guards and they opened the wooden doors for his entrance, Link caught a few words of the mage's speech:

"…tell you, denounce these apples of darkness! They will take away your mind and your will! They are perverting your senses! Free yourself from these black chains…"

Link bowed his head. At least they had one supporter in Hyrule.

"Sir, may I take your horse to the stables?" A teenage boy stood with his hand outstretched dressed in the garb worn by most castle stable hands. Link nodded to him and patted Epona's neck, then swung out of the saddle. He handed the reins to the boy with a handful of rupees.

"Give her some carrots and a good rub down please. I'm willing to pay for the best treatment."

The stable boy bowed. "Yessir."

Link adjusted his tunic and bracers a little as he looked at the large castle doors he was becoming so familiar with. With a sigh, he stepped inside and asked the nearest servant to escort him to Zelda's meeting chamber. They wound up a few flights of stairs, the hustle and bustle of castle life and war preparation going on around them, and finally arrived at the tall wooden doors in which Link first met with Zelda. Forrad stood outside. They bowed to each other, and Forrad led Link into the guard-filled chamber.

"Duke Link Verdelupo of Ordona Province, General of the Hyrulian Army, Savior of Hyrule."

The winter hours lengthened the darkness of night. The sun rose later and set earlier, leaving Zelda's meetings chamber a muted, candlelit gray. The princess was dressed in a blue version of her royal dress, complete with silver armor and jeweled tiara. Zelda's smile as her eyes rested upon Link's tired form wiped the weariness from his body and lit the room. Tension eased out of his shoulders. Zelda dismissed everyone from the room, leaving them alone and free to speak.

"Thank you for waiting to talk to me," Zelda said as Link sat down in the chair across from her. "No one knows of your visit last night."

Link bowed his head, but his blue eyes held her gaze from under his long blond bangs. He seemed to think for a long time before he spoke. "Except for you, Ikal, and myself", he amended. "Did it truly bother you that I was there?"

"Link you know that—"

"I'm not asking whether it was proper or not, Zelda," Link interrupted. "I know it wasn't. I apologize for that. What I'm asking is if it bothered you to be alone with me?" Zelda pursed her lips and cast her eyes aside. Link place the palms of his hands on the countertop and leaned forward. "Last night you said that to confirm their suspicions would destroy your reputation. Darkness is closing in on us Zelda; I know that you can feel it and that it haunts your dreams. The preparations for the Mountain Campaign will be complete in the next couple of days. Count Durtain and his cronies are getting exactly what they want and the people glorify them like gods because of the poisoned fruit."

Link reached over the table for Zelda's gloved hand. She moved it, but he took it in his hand anyway. She tried to pull it away, but the wolf man only held tighter. Her eyes snapped to his, wide and full of alarm. Link's gaze, ever steady and feral and intense, seemed to hold everything inside of her suspended. Though she fished for words, she found herself unable to speak.

"We are alone again," Link continued, his mind racing with the unplanned thoughts bubbling up inside, "and not in an indecent place. I have a question for you, Princess."

Zelda swallowed, apprehension lining her face. "A question?" she whispered.

"Yes," Link said, his voice low and quiet. "I feel a dread in my soul and a weight I cannot continue to bear. The Campaign looms in my own dreams full of evil. Something is going to happen, and I fear for Hyrule and for your safety. Do your own dreams reflect mine?"

Zelda nodded, though her eyes remained apprehensive and her body tense. "They worsen every night. There is a forest and I am running, and the darkness in the shadows is alive." The Princess's gaze became far away. Unthinking, she began to rub her thumb over the back of Link's hand. "It moves toward me. Chases me. I realize that I cannot get away and so I climb a tree to try avoiding it, but it is there too. It condenses to a human form…" she looked up, tears and fear filling her eyes. "It looks like you, Link," she whispered. "Every time. Your face and hair and clothes, but your skin is ashen, your hair is gray like soot, and your clothing is black. Your eyes are bottomless pools of red, like blood. When you touch me the darkness winds up my skin, much like the black marks on my arms now…but they do not stop spreading…I'm dying, consumed by darkness. Suddenly a wolf comes, a gray wolf with the bluest eyes, and attacks you. You die and I wake up."

Zelda slipped her hand out of Link's and wrapped her arms around herself, closing her eyes. Link frowned and furrowed his brow. "That wasn't me," he murmured. "It wasn't me, Zelda. Look at me." He stood up and circled the desk, dropping to his knees in front of the Princess and holding her face between his hands. "Look at me Zelda," he whispered. She opened her eyes. "That dark man wasn't me. I don't know what he symbolizes, but he wasn't me. The blue eyed wolf—that was me. Want to know how I know that?" Zelda nodded. Link stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. "I have been dreaming a dream ever since the desert. I am in the wolf's body and I'm trapped. I can't transform. I'm running through a dark forest and hear screaming. At first when I reached the screaming you were already dead, but as the dream kept repeating I found the fastest way to you. I saw a dark form near you. I leapt, attacked it, and killed it. This has been my dream. I never manage to reach you in time."

Zelda frowned for a moment. "Then it wasn't you?" she said. "I should have recognized."

Link shook his head and let go of her face, moving his hands to her knees. "Of course it wasn't me. But Zelda, the forest in those dreams…I know where they are. I can travel far and quickly in my wolf body, and I ran to the only forested area I hadn't been in yet. The trees are dark. No light gets through. It's old and empty and lifeless. It's the very forest that Count Durtain said we have to travel through in the strategy meetings he has been having with the captains and myself. He said that the valley is deep in those mountains, and that they're dead because this is where Ganondorf's monsters fled to when the Twilight War ended. They're evil creatures and sucked the very life out of the forest and claimed it for their own."

"What are you trying to say, Link?" Zelda said. "I am confused. The forest in our dreams is the forest that the Count is leading the army to. That makes sense considering the nature of the black fruit. But then there's the assassin last night—what was the purpose of sending him? Or do you think the assassin was acting on his own?"

"I have been thinking about it all night," Link said, standing and beginning to pace in front of the desk. "I think that it is all related, but there is some vital fact or event that we don't know about. Perhaps the dark figure from your dreams represent's Durtain. If the Count killed me that night he would have taken my place leading the army through the mountains most likely. Perhaps Durtain is trying to take my place in Hyrule?"

Zelda frowned. "Perhaps," she said. "Before you came he was very persistent in flowering me with his affections. I believe that all he ever wanted was power and thought that by getting close to me he could get it. I never let him get that close. There was something unsettling about him even then."

Link stopped pacing and rubbed his eyes with his hand. "Somehow this whole plot plays into his longing for power," Link said, "and I am standing in his way." Zelda didn't respond. Link sighed and nodded. "Well then, now that we know what's going on we can prevent it."

Zelda didn't look convinced. "Something is not quite right," she said. "I do not understand how the dark Sheikah clan and the ancient darkness you and I both sense play into Durtain's mundane desires. It does not quite add up."

"It's all we have," Link said.

They were both quiet for a while, lost in their thoughts and memories. Finally Princess Zelda folded her hands on the table. "Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? Was that your question?"

"Well," Link stepped around the desk again and lowered himself to his knees where he had been kneeling before. "Yes and no. That's what I needed to talk to you about. That's not my question."

Zelda put her hand on his shoulder. "What is it, Link? What is so difficult that you cannot speak to me about it?"

Link bowed his head, his hands resting on Zelda's knees. "I'm afraid," he murmured. "There IS more going on and I don't know what it is or how to find out, but deep inside of me…deep inside I feel like this campaign is going to change everything. I'm afraid for Hyrule." He met Zelda's concerned gaze, lifting his hand to her cheek. She tensed but did not pull away. "I'm afraid for you, Zelda."

"Link, do not be afraid for me," she whispered. "I have a loyal protector." She placed her hand over his and smiled.

Link swallowed, his heart pounding anxious adrenaline through his body. "Princess," he said. "My question is simple. Are their suspicions true or false?"

Zelda shook her head, not understanding.

"Last night," Link clarified. "You said that confirming their suspicions, whether true or false, would be your downfall. There's no one here to see, and when I leave with the army the day after tomorrow I don't know if I will make it back. This isn't a simple diplomacy campaign. Something's out there, and I don't really know what it is beyond a evil feeling in my heart, but something wants me dead."

"Link, I can't…"

"Zelda, please! Who am I fighting for? A faceless mass of people I don't know, the distant faces of a hometown I love, or…" he swallowed and took a deep breath. "May I fight for the sake of a beautiful woman I've realized that I'm in love with?"

Silence. They seemed frozen together—he waiting for her answer, and she comprehending what he said and its consequences. The Princess closed her eyes. Her heart fluttered inside of her, but her mind was full of dread. She had not allowed herself to even think about what she felt, for fear of the consequences of such feelings.

"I cannot, Link," she whispered, tears in her voice betraying the firmness of her tone. "I cannot love you in return. It is not an option for me." She turned her face away from him, eyes still closed, and laced her fingers together on her lap. "Please leave," she whispered.

"But…"

"Link, I have asked you to leave. Please obey me."

Link's hands fell from her knees. He stood up and backed away. Tears formed a lump in his throat. "Very well," he murmured. "As you wish." Link walked to the door, then turned and bowed to the Princess, who watched him out of the corner of her eyes. "I will see you on the day of our departure," Link said. "I'll be the one in armor at the front."

The hero left without another word, his face a mask of stone, and the Princess dropped her face into her hands and wept.

!#$%^&*()

All the preparations had been made. There was nothing more to stall the inevitable day of departure. The air buzzed with excitement in the army barracks as the men kissed their families goodbye, donned their armor, and made the last preparations for the long campaign that awaited them. They had a ready food supply and all the tools they would need to hunt new food along the way. They had weapons for monsters and cages for exotic animals that may be discovered in the uncharted territory. Perhaps most important were the empty wagons strung along in a caravan at the back of the line ups on the Eastern field—empty wagons that would be full of exotic black fruit on their victorious return.

Link was fully suited in his gleaming golden armor at the front of the army, his captains fanning out on either side of him with beaming faces. The fierce general's face was impassive and unemotional. He fingered a pouch on his belt, his gaze distant.

At the back of the army, just in front of the caravan, was an elaborate black-wood wagon with the navy blue trappings of the house of Rashsak pulled by white horses. All of the openings were sealed shut so that no light could enter it. There were whispers of a dark foreign noble inside, along for the ride as Count Durtain's honored guest. The Count himself rode atop his prize black stallion. He was dressed in gleaming black and blue armor with gold trimming, his favored sword on his belt, and his brown eyes glittered with something not quite excitement and not quite fear.

The horns of Hyrule sounded. The flags and banners were raised and flapped in a rough northward wind. Count Durtain brought his stallion alongside Link's and gave the wolf-man a friendly nod which Link left unreturned. The Count was to be their guide and would lead them to the valley, quite to Link's distaste. At least, the hero consoled himself, it was an easy way for him to keep a close eye on the treacherous Durtain.

From the behind the army Princess Zelda led her entourage of advisors and nobles to the front. Every soldier held his breath and locked his widened eyes on her elegant form. She wore a thick fur-lined cloak with the hood pulled back from her bejeweled head. Sunlight peeking through the clouds glittered in her auburn hair, setting it aflame with rich reds and golds. Beneath the cloak hints of a pure white gown laced with gold embroidered Triforce patterns peaked through the folds in the cloak and under the hem, covering her stirrups. Her face was a mask of regal benevolence and love, but her blue eyes were cold.

In all of his armor and finery, none looked the better counterpart to their noble Princess than her General as he brought his friendly steed alongside her white mare. He bowed to her, as custom required, and she inclined her head. Her eyes implored him, but his were unreadable and unemotional. He backed Epona into her previous position and sat erect atop her saddle while Zelda's entourage lined up behind her and she began to make her speech.

"Noble warriors and heroes of Hyrule," she began, "I have few words for you today. You venture into unknown territory for the sake of your country and your families. I trust that you will follow the guidance of your noble leaders and guides and represent our fair Hyrule well to whomever or whatever you may find in these uncharted lands. Be merciful in battle, humble in victory, and courageous in defeat. Disregard the hardships you may face along the way and keep heart—never lose hope." Her eyes sought Link's and bored into him. "Never give up the pursuit of your heart's desire, for the difficulties and challenges between you and unity with your desire will make that union more sweet. Take heart, noble men of Hyrule, and go forth into this land. Return home victorious and fruitful. Know in your souls that your country and your Princess are utterly proud of you."

The men cheered, their spirits rising and excitement buzzing in the air between them. Zelda bowed to them and began to turn her mare aside to return to the back of the company to watch them depart. She hesitated, however, and looked into Link's eyes again with her face so full of sadness. Sadness and, dare he believe, longing. He averted his eyes, and she lowered her head and moved on.

As the company began its grand departure, another pair of red eyes watched the exchange through the window of Durtain's carriage with a smirk. The endless pools of featureless blood red that were Dark Link's eyes squinted with glee at the pair's suffering and separation. He laughed, a dark and disturbed sound that rumbled like thunder, and settle back for the trip as the horns sounded and the horses lurched forth.

_Soon my light brother_, he thought, _we will meet again and your favor will shine on me._ He unsheathed his sword and laid the blade across his legs, took a whetstone out of his pouch, and began sharpening the red blade.

**0000000000000000000**

**Author's Note**:

Here we are, at the end of yet another chapter. For some of you this might be the fulfillment of something you have been waiting for. Others may be displeased. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter anyway.

On a personal note, my Hylian Shield is coming in the mail this week! I already have the Master Sword and the whole Link outfit, minus the hat (which I'm going to make). I'm so excited!

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope your Halloween weekend comes with something to scare you. Thanks for reading and please review!  
Until next time,

_~The Wolfess_


	29. Under the Shadow's Wings

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Under the Shadow's Wings**

The day they approached the foot of the southern mountains, a dead fog lay over the land. It clung to every dew-covered blade of grass and crept through the first lonely trees like a warm breath on a snowy night. Dawn's first beams lit up the east, highlighting swirled patterns in the fog's belly as it curled and churned. To Link, the fog seemed to move like ringworms in the distended bellies of the apple-addicted children of Castle Town. He crouched on the ground a few meters in front of Epona, his forest-colored tunic damp and his shoulders tense. From the corner of his eye the wolf-man kept careful watch on his "guide", Count Durtain, who bundled himself in a thick fur-lined cloak and rubbed his hands together.

"You're sure this is the proper entrance?" Link asked, sparing a glance over his shoulder at Captain Volk. The man hadn't said two words to Link since the end of the Bulbin Campaign, and he did not say one now. Durtain heaved a sigh and stomped his boots a little in an attempt to warm his icy feet.

"Yes, I'm sure," Durtain answered. "The farmers' cottage lies a half-day's journey to the northeast."

Link nodded. "Very well then. Thank you Count. Captain Volk?"

Volk stepped forward and saluted. "Yes sir?"

Link stood from his crouch and crossed his arms, peering at the forest. "I foresee a tactical disadvantage. We possess horses, carriages, and wagons for cargo. We came packed for the Desert Campaign with its open plains, not for a tromp through the woods. What is your advice? How should we proceed?"

Volk shot Link a look with narrowed eyes and a thin-pressed mouth. "Surely the General can figure out his own strategies."

Link stepped back a pace so that he could see both men. Durtain looked deceptively bored, but Link knew he cluing in to every body movement and every vocal tone. "Soldier," Link began, "Whether or not I have a plan, it is irresponsible of me to assume we will go my way without having tactical advice from my second. Having been in the army longer, you have great insight and wisdom that I value."

Volk tucked his chin against his chest and blushed. Durtain turned his body away and rolled his eyes.

"Thank you sir," Volk said. "My apologies. If there are indeed evil forces in these mountains then they must be quite adept at hiding. To send in our Calvary first would alert them of our presence long before we ever see them. I believe we should send in the foot soldiers first, followed by the wagons and carriage, and have the men on horseback bring up the rear."

Link grinned and grasped Volk's shoulder, shaking it a little. "Great minds think alike," he said. "we won't need our larger artillery, like the cannons. Bringing them was merely a precaution. We can leave them in Ordon, my home town, and pick them up on our way home."

"A most splendid notion," Count Durtain said, smiling his slithery grin. Volk agreed, and Link merely nodded to them both.

"Alright," Link said, mounting Epona. Volk and Durtain likewise mounted their horses. "Thank you for your help Count. Take a rest and I'll personally retrieve you when we move on."

"Thank you Duke," Count Durtain said with a slight incline of his head. "I feel most privileged to aid Hyrule on this great venture."

Link cleared his throat. "Yes of course." He inclined his head in return and spoke to Captain Volk as the Count made his way back to his personal carriage. "Relay the plans and ready the men. I will take the artillery to Ordon."

"Very well, General."

!

Link and the two wagons bearing their artillery pulled into Ordon around midday, along with the small band of soldiers carting and managing those wagons. Preparations were well underway and could carry on without him at this point. Link would not be needed until sundown, giving him a rare few hours to visit his hometown and perhaps to say his goodbyes.

The barren boughs of the Farron Woods were dusted with a light coat of snow already melting in an early morning slant of light. A lone bird chirped a hopeful tune, and the sound of humming reached Link's ears as they passed through the entrance. As usual, Coro sat at the bubbling cauldron of poisonous brew he called soup surrounded by a few stray animals, such as the squirrel on his shoulder (who seemed to nod to Link) and a small lynx purring at his feet. Link shook his head and chucked as he waved.

"Hey Coro, how's the lamp business?" he asked.

Coro grinned and leaned forward. "Well hey there guy! Steady nowadays, but nothing like when you came through here all the time. I got a contract with Mayor Bo and the Inn in New Kakariko."

"Sounds great. Glad to hear it."

"Thanks. Hey, it's good to see ya guy!"

"Same to you," Link said as they moved past him and turned toward the tunnel to Ordon. Link cut down a couple violent plants and cleared some bramble for the cart and horses, but there was no real need for a sword out front as was needed during the war. It was refreshing to Link to see how his forest was recovering in the aftermath of the Twilight War, after the monsters that came with Zant's Twilight escaped to the woods or were killed. The air had a refreshing, lively crispness to it again, and the animals were busy with their last preparations for winter.

As they crossed the bridge between Faron and Ordon, a sound much like that of a goat-horn bugle resounded through the forest. Link started and scanned the treetops, soon locating the source. Jutting out just above the branches was a wooden platform, atop which young Colin stood with his shield and small sword. The boy waved, slinging a goat horn bugle over his shoulder, and disappeared in the treetops. He met the small troop as Link led them into town.

"Link! You're here!" Collin said, running toward the General. Link crouched down and held out his arms, which Collin promptly threw himself into. "We've missed you!"

Link grinned and pushed Collin back to arm's length, looking him over from head to toe. "You've grown a good foot Collin," Link said. "You almost fit that sword and shield!"

"I'm trying," said the son of Rusl. "Studying some of your books too. I didn't think you'd mind, since you're not here to read them anymore."

Link nodded. "I don't mind. Be my guest. Say, is Mayor Bo in his house? I need to see him right away." He winked. "Army business of course."

Collin practically beamed. "He is! And Ilia too. I'll run ahead and tell them you're coming!" Before the hero could say another word, the boy was running down the road. Link shook his head and motioned for the soldiers and cart to follow.

The happy, carefree village of Ordon unfolded before the group like a late-blooming flower as Link led them through. People came out of their houses and waved to Link, a few small conversations here and there. Link felt like a man in a dream moving through a thickened soup-like haze. The town was so happy. Everyone looked so healthy. He had heard the reports of Ordon rooting out all of their black trees because it made the goats sick, but he had almost forgotten what it was like to be in a town without the apples' influence. His world was gray and black, with the rare exception of his colorful moments with Zelda.

The General felt oddly out of place here.

Bo was waiting for Link on the porch. The Mayor hugged Link and ushered him inside while the soldiers waited out with the cart, their nervous eyes darting everywhere in hollow-cheeked, gray faces.

"It's great to see you Bo," Link said, taking a seat across from the Mayor at his small table.

"You too, Link. How's Castle Town doin' this winter?" Bo said, leaning back in his chair.

Link could not lean back, encumbered as he was by the golden General's Armor he put on before leaving for Ordon. He sat with his back erect, armor gleaming in the light from the window, feet flat on the floor in front of him. The General looked as out of place there as he had felt outside. His fingers drummed on his knees.

"Not very good," Link said. "The apples are a wicked poison and the whole country is addicted to them." He lowered his voice, leaning forward the littlest bit. "I'm telling you this to warn you, Bo. The Princess is out of favor with her advisors because of this fruit. Her hand is forced to move the military into the southeastern mountains to claim the valley where the fruit grew, despite the conditions of the country, or lose her throne to the man who discovered the apples."

Bo stroked his chin, his small eyes squinted in thought. "I don't like all this political intrigue. It just don't sound like who you are or what you went there to do."

Link took off the red, gold embroidered hat and tousled his hair. "I don't know," he said. "I find that I can't resist. I care too much to stand by while Hyrule falls to ruin."

"And how do you know that the Princess is what this country needs?" Bo said, lifting his eyebrows. "How do you know the fruit isn't just an excuse to cover up some disease that's crept into her city, and really isn't harmful at all?"

Link's face contorted in anger, his hands lifting to grip the edge of the table as he growled, "that's a lie," through gritted teeth. "The Princess is the country's last true hope."

Bo held up his hands. "Peace! Woah now boy! I was just playin' Din's advocate, that's all. I have faith in her Majesty." He nodded his head, and Link relaxed back into the chair, a little tenser than he was before. "All of us here in Ordon came to the same conclusion. That's evil stuff, and none of our children or livestock will touch it if we have anythin' to say 'bout it."

"Good," Link said, relaxing a little more. "So you'll be careful if anyone comes around here asking about suspicious things?"

Bo nodded. "We will. Is that all this visit is about?"

"No," Link said. "I need to store some heavy artillery here while we're in the mountains. We can't bring it with us. There's no need for it and it will just slow us down. I want to get this over and done with as fast as possible."

"Artillery," Bo repeated. He sighed and scratched his head. "If that ain't gunna paint a red target on our backs I don't know what."

"I wouldn't trust it anywhere else," Link pleaded. "Especially not in Kakariko."

The Mayor was quiet for a long time. After a while he sighed and sat up. "Fine, we'll protect it for ya. Leave it here and I'll round up Rusl and Fado to make it safe. Actually, you might like to go round up Fado right now. Ilia's with him tendin' the goats with Daru."

Link and Bo stood up and headed outside. The General passed along the information to the soldiers and commanded them to stay with the artillery until it was safely put away. He turned and walked up the road to the pasture.

There were no butterflies flitting through the air this time of year, but the pasture was still as clear and beautiful as he remembered. The sound of goats' bleating drifted to his Hylian ears. Fado stood by the gate securing the goats in their pens while Ilia rounded them up for the day from atop her stallion's back. She called over to Link and waved with both arms as he crawled over the closed outer fence.

"Fado!" he shouted, running over to the tall, dark-skinned man. "Bo needs you to help with something. I'll finish up here."

"Sure thing, bud!" Fado said. "Thanks a ton!" He ran down to Bo's house, and Link and Ilia finished rounding up and securing the rest of the goats.

Ilia pulled up next to the barn as Link shut the doors and swung off of Daru's back. She threw herself into Link and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Link!" she said. "I've missed you!"

Link patted her back. "Same here. Looks like you two are a good team."

Ilia patted Daru's flank. "We sure are. It's like he can read my mind."

Link laughed. "I wasn't talking about you and the horse, Ilia," he said, reaching over to tap the tip of her nose with his finger. "I was talking about you and Fado."

Ilia blushed and turned away. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said.

"Sure ya don't," Link grinned. "I know that look. You used to look at me that way."

Ilia turned two shades redder, the tips of her ears turning pink. "Well it ain't like you've been around to help us, Link!" she said, turning on him with a fire in her eyes. "While you've been gallivanting in Castle Town with your army and your big house, we've been struggling real hard here. We lost a third of the yearlings, half the goat's milk was sour or poisoned by those apples, and Beth—" she abruptly cut off and turned her back on him. "You've been gone. Fado had to step up, and he's really shown that he's more than a big dumb oaf."

Link crossed his arms over his chest, careful not to clank metal on metal. "Gallivanting, huh? You think that's what I do? Run around having tea parties and spending money? Living a noble's life?"

Ilia shrugged. "Well. Yeah."

"You ignorant child," he said, his eyes narrowing. Ilia spun around with a shocked look on her face. "If you had any idea what kind of corruption and evil I face every day within the very courts of Hyrule Castle you wouldn't say that. How many times I've looked death in the eyes before and after I left to save Hyrule. What it was like to look King Bulbin in his rotten, green face and make him bow to Hyrule…the carnage of a battlefield, or the loneliness of the return…" He shook his head.

"I'm not a child, Link," Ilia said, shoving his chest, "and how dare you call me one!"

"A child," he repeated, "with no responsibility and no dreams of her own outside of marriage and children. No aspirations."

Ilia shoved his chest again, anger written on her face. "How dare you come back and speak to me this way, you pig!" she shouted. Link's hands balled into fists, his body tensing. "You don't even care that Beth ran away to Kakariko and won't come back."

"I do care, and you know it. Or used to. Now apologize," he said in a low, dangerous voice.

"No," she replied. "You want apologies you just go crawl to your lover Princess and leave Ordon to take care of our own. At least Fado won't leave us to rot in pursuit of his own selfish glory."

"Take it back!" Link shouted, striding until he was toe to toe with her. "No one speaks of the Princess that way in front of me. No one."

Ilia lifted her chin, her green eyes glimmering with tears that Link couldn't see. "You can't take back the truth," she whispered. "Everyone knows the real reason you left was for a pretty pair of blue eyes, some gold, and a lot of glory. That Count guy who came through here told us all about you."

"Count Durtain?" Link said, his eyes widening, a growl slipping into his voice. His hands, balled into fists at his side, shook. "And you listened to that goat-poisoning, back-stabbing, glory-hounding slime ball?"

"You're not around to tell otherwise. Crawl back to your Princess's bed and leave us be."

Link gripped her shoulders with his hands, his fingers digging in to her soft flesh deep enough to bruise. The wolf stone pulsed at his side, calling to him. "I told you," he growled, shaking Ilia a little. "Don't talk about her that way."

"GET OFF OF HER!" Fado's large hands grabbed Link from behind, yanking him backward. Startled, Link let go of Ilia and ducked as Fado's fist flew overhead. Link punched Fado's rib cage, and the large ranch hand's fist met with Link's shoulder. Ilia backed away as the fist fight escalated, cupping her elbows in her hands and shaking her head. Link was an animal. He growled and moved with a fluidity that scared her, and a large man like Fado couldn't keep up with him, even if he had practiced fighting more often. Soon Fado was on his back, and Link towered over him with the green-handled sword pressed to Fado's neck, eyes small and lips curled back in a snarl.

"Link, stop!" she yelled, her voice mingled with the similar shouts of Bo and Rusl running toward them. Ilia ran to her father and buried her face in his shoulder, sobbing. Rusl grabbed Link by the back of his armor and pulled him off of Fado, catching Link's wrist when the wolf-man took a swing at him too.

"Link!" Rusl said. "Link, look at me! Look at what you've done!"

Panting, Link blinked a few times and looked around. When his gaze fell on Ilia, he could already see bruises from his hands forming on her shoulders. His eyes widened.

"I don't know what happened to you, but I think you need to leave Ordon, Link," Bo said. "And don't come back until you can control yourself."

"But—I didn't, I mean, I didn't mean to—"

"Now. We'll keep your artillery, but you need to leave now."

Link opened his mouth to protest, but every face looked at him the same way. Every accusing gaze shouted at him. _Animal. Animal._ Balling his hands into fists, he squared his shoulders and walked back to the army that waited his command.

!

The General was particularly agitated when he returned to camp, so when he roused the captains and told them they were leaving right that minute, way before schedule, no one objected. They got their act together in double time and set out into the foggy forest as night began to descend. The twilight light shone in a spackled pattern through the canopy, shining on Link's armored back and glimmering off of the sword clutched in his hand. His face was dark and angry as he glared into the shadows of the barren trees.

_I know she's just hurt,_ he thought to himself. _She would never have meant those things she said. I know that. It's Ilia—she's always trying to get a rise out of people, especially when she feels hurt. Why did I take her so seriously? How could I have raised a hand to her? What's happening to me? Ikal is right…I'm turning into nothing but an animal. _

The only one to ride near to the dangerous man was Captain Volk, who maintained a calm demeanor and kept a careful eye on the General. He would not forget what he had seen in the desert, and if there were signs of it happening again it would be his duty to conceal the event from the army. Were Link to lose credibility in the eyes of the men now, at such a crucial point in the history of Hyrule, the marquis feared the consequences for the army itself and for the ruling monarchy. Volk's love did not run deep for Link, but he would do anything to keep Princess Zelda's throne secure. The woman had been too good to them over the years for her throne to be poisoned by a brutal wild man. If he had to shield the wild man to protect her, then Captain Volk, Marquis of Duponte, would do his best.

The carriages toward the back of the procession were loud as they rumbled through the forest. The horses behind them were not much better. The going was slow. Dead and dying undergrowth tangled in the armor-clad legs of the soldiers and nicked the ankles of the horses. Branches and bramble caught in the spokes of the wheels. Darkness filled the spaces between the trees with imaginary beasts that reached out to the jumpy, hollow-eyed army with clawed hands and toothy mouths, but were not really there upon investigation. The forest darkened the deeper in the army progressed. Soon, Link brought the ax-wielders to the front to help clear the way. The work was slow, but the wheels of the wagons and the ankles of the horses would last longer with less wear.

The General was fearless it seemed. He rode forward to scout the surroundings, and returned to ride through the ranks and encourage the men. He was tireless and alert, eyes darting everywhere, seeing in the shadows with his unnatural sight what the others could not see. But he was also distracted, and the captains worried.

The first trap was sprung in a small clearing a few hours after entering the forest. They had not progressed as far as Link hoped and he was monitoring the axmen from the back as they worked. Suddenly the ground dropped out beneath one of them. Peering over the side of the hole, Link saw the man impaled on a collection of crude spikes at the bottom, eyes frightened and empty as they stared into the lightless canopy. They got the man out and buried him, taking his helmet home to give to his family.

Word traveled through the army like a rush of water, and fear became a tangible beast among them. It was to be guerilla warfare then. Traps in the forest and hiding in the dark. Link was not afraid. He had faced worse and passed through unscathed. He shouted encouragement and gave new orders, assigned soldiers to test for traps they might encounter along the way. Few volunteered for the job, and Link did not truly understand or sympathize with their fear. He had always sensed the traps and puzzles more than see them. He just knew a way to get around it. The hero could not understand that the men with him did not have his sixth sense for danger. They were normal men, capable of much in the ways of men yet little in the ways of heroes. A murmur of frustration whispered through the foot soldiers and scouts, their dark eyes following the golden man atop his mighty beast who led them to death's pasture.

!

Within the confines of the carriage, Dark Link sat with Teela. Durtain was up with Captain Volk and Link guiding the army through the woods, and the Shinobi followed in the trees awaiting their orders, unseen and unheard. The evil entity reclined on the plush furnishings, his red eyes glowing in the darkness. Within their bloody depths Teela could see herself reflected back, a twisted image of what she was meant to be. There was no turning back from her chosen path now. No turning back from the dark tasks set before her. In this man's bloody eyes was her first taste of fear.

Dark Link's ebony fingers twisted the stray strands of Teela's hair, his face twisted in a smirk. "Link seals his own fate," hissed Darkness.

Silence filled the air of the carriage. Dark Link was fascinated by the sound of his own breathing, and the feel of his own beating pulse. It was his. This stolen body, now his. He would not share with Link's existence any longer. He was his own man—however evil and twisted that man may be.

"What do you mean?" Teela interrupted his thoughts. Dark Link's eyes narrowed.

"Can you not hear the murmurs of the men around us, woman? Can you not feel their fear feeding your dark essence?" Teela did not answer. Dark Link rolled his eyes. "The Hero cannot relate to their fear. He does not feel it. He does not understand their inability to solve every problem, sense every danger. He is something more than human. He is above them all, and that is merely a fact. With the power of the Triforce within his being, Link is the closest thing to a god that any of them will meet."

"You sound as if you like the man," Teela remarked.

Dark Link pulled a dagger from his boot and turned it in his palm. "It is fact I state, not admiration. The distance between him and the army increases. They do not trust or love him, and he fails at reaching out to them. The Princess will begin to fall in their minds as well, for she is his only equal in this world, and their souls are drawn together forever. Where he is, she will be. They cannot be separated by anyone less than the Goddesses, or themselves, even in the minds of Hyrule's populace."

"If that is true," said the dark sheikah, "then what will become of her when our plans on this campaign come to fruition?"

Dark Link flipped the dagger in the air and caught the blade between his fingers. "She will gravitate toward him naturally and be tied to his fate."

"It is suspicious for the Princess to disappear."

Dark link grinned. "She will not. Trust me Teela. All will progress as planned." He slipped the dagger back into his boot and folded his hands behind his head, resting them back against the carriage wall. "How glad I will be to leave the confines of this carriage. Have the Shinobi set the traps ahead?"

Teela inclined his head. "They have also gathered the remaining monsters in the forest and pointed them toward the army. The two forces will meet in a matter of days."

"And that is when we will strike. Perfect. Sow the seeds of doubt," Dark Link said. "Execute the next phase." He waved Teela away, and she disappeared out the window and into the night. With his eyes closed, the dark entity licked his lips and thought of the taste of the blood that would soon be on his tongue.

!

The army settled down in a large clearing after testing it for traps. They ate well of their apples and talked in hushed tones about their strange General and this dangerous campaign. Link disappeared the moment he was no longer needed. He slipped the stone around his neck and disappeared into the forest to hunt his own dinner, seen only by the Shinobi and a hidden pair of blood red eyes in the darkness.

The dirt felt cool beneath his paws. The wind in his fur was refreshing. He traveled miles without effort, his muscled body lean and warm as it stretched from a stiff ride on a horse's back all day. His mouth watered, tongue hanging out the side of his maw. The wolf killed rabbits and squirrels and ate his fill, covering his face and paws with their blood. He sunk his teeth into the meat of their hides and felt the blood flow hot and metallic in his mouth, down his throat. His mind was white with the kill-lust. Perhaps, Link thought, he would lose himself in the woods…perhaps he would never return to the army, to Ordon, to the castle…

Zelda's face flashed through the bloody, wild lust in his mind. The divine wolf slowed and dropped to the ground, his hot stomach cooling on the earth. Link could not let her down. He could not run away. No longer chained, yet the wildness inside felt chained by the human's heart. His human self longed for the normality he was beginning to forget, yet even so the beast inside of him tore and raged at the bonds of its responsibility-bearing master.

It was not long before Link returned to the army, took the stone off, and tidied his appearance. The General did not walk from fire to fire this night. He went to his tent and ducked inside, without so much as a spared glance to the curious guard standing by its entrance. A single candle burned on a small table they brought for planning purposes, casting shadows on the walls of the tent. The fingers of darkness and dread curled up the back of Link's neck and raised the hair on his arms. The wolf stone pulsed, demanding, in his pouch. His heart was a stone at the bottom of an icy lake in his chest. Link shuffled to his cot and sunk down onto it.

The hero removed the armor plates and red garments of authority, placing them in the corner of the tent out of his sight, and changed into his customary green tunic and hat. He lay back on his cot, threw an arm over his eyes, and prayed to the goddesses for sleep to come quickly and without nightmares.

!

Sleep did take him, take him like a thief in the night, but with it came the nightmares that haunted his dreams.

_A black figure with a red sword._

_A barren forest._

_Running, trapped, canine._

_Zelda's death._

_Hopelessness. Despair. Failure._

_Endless darkness._

_The circling of a thousand wolves around him in the shadows…_

!

Link awoke in the morning with his fists balled and tears drying on his face. He bolted upright, growling and looking around his tent before he realized he was in the waking world and nothing threatened him. His hands relaxed and his shoulders drooped as he swung his legs off the side of the cot and placed his bare feet on the dirt floor of his tent.

A quiet rustling of feathers and scraping of talons on wood alerted the General to what woke him in the twilight hours of morning. A large hawk, clearly of the family bred by the royal house of Hyrule, perched on the edge of the table ruffling its wings with a scroll in its beak. Link stood and crossed to it, taking the parchment from it and scratching its head. It glared at him with its piercing eyes and took off out the door flap.

The scroll in Link's hand was small enough for the large bird to carry, yet large enough to contain more than a brief message. It was tied with a violet ribbon, and sealed with Zelda's personal seal. Furrowing his brow, Link took off the ribbon, broke the seal, and unrolled the parchment.

_Link,_

_I pray that your eyes alone read this message. Even as I think the words I will write, I fear the prying eyes and poisoned, black hearts that would use them against me. Yet, despite the fear the fills my breast, I cannot leave our last moments so bitter if indeed they be our last. The Princess of Destiny sacrificed her happiness and the happiness of the Hero of Time for the same reasons I sacrifice yours. I vowed to myself before I met you that I would not make the same mistakes as the Princess of Destiny. I will not break that vow._

_The words you risked to speak did not fall on an unreceptive heart. Divine beast, I am a woman ruled by logic and you are everything that I cannot be. You are wild and free to roam; you are emotional and free to be guided by emotion. You are free to love and to move on from love unrequited. I have little but logic, position, and the tentative love of my people—until you kneeled before me and offered me something no Princess of Hyrule has ever allowed herself the luxury of. _

_Know, Link of Ordon, that I do love you. With all the foolishness of a woman's heart I love you, and yet with the wisdom of a monarch's crown I must restrain myself. Perhaps not forever, perhaps, but until this tension has passed I must not act on my heart's whimsy. As you asked, you may fight for me Link…only do not tell anyone what has been written here. Keep this letter hidden for your eyes alone. _

_You need not respond if you do not wish. If you do, play the hawk's grass and my personal messenger hawk will come to you. Be safe, Link._

_With my love,_

_Zelda_

The Hero of Light reread the letter several times, hardly believing the words on the page. If it was not for the fact that he recognized her handwriting, he would be suspicious of the authenticity of the letter, but as the General of the Army he had read and signed enough proclamations, decrees, and letters from her to recognize what he saw. He sat down heavily onto the cot and stared at the other wall, the letter hanging from his fingertips.

_She loves me_, he thought. _Reluctantly, sure, but she does love me._ A warmth rose in his chest, bubbling up into his throat, and exploding from his mouth in laughter. It was the laughter of one stretched thin in hopelessness given something to hold on to. A laughter to make the hardest heart take notice. He stood up and folded the letter, tucking it in the same pouch as the wolf stone. _When the beast tries to overwhelm me, I will remember this. That I have someone to fight for. Someone to return to_. With a grin on his face such as had become unfamiliar to the hardened boyish features, Link packed up his belongings, including the golden General's Armor, and exited the tent to pack everything on Epona.

Sipping a flash of black apple wine, Count Durtain watched the cheery General prepare for departure with a hollow-eyed distaste. The brown eyed Count had not slept. Would not sleep. Not with the monster he had courted and brought into this world watching him in the carriage. At what price had Durtain purchased his victory? Who was this creature that he recruited to bring about the downfall of the monarchy and the rise of a new Hyrule?

Was he even in charge of this plan anymore? Had he ever been truly in charge, or was that Dark Reflection pulling the Count like puppet strings? Durtain looked back at his carriage and caught the briefest glimpse of angry red eyes in the blackness. There was no turning back from this path. He had chosen, and New Hyrule would be birthed from the black ashes of the people he now burned. The General may begin this fateful day with a spring in his step, but before night crept over the canopy the wolf would curse his own wretched existence.

**0000000000000000000**

**Author's Note**:

A little late for Christmas, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year anyway! (or whatever other holiday you celebrate :D) Okay, I know that there's a little bit of fluff in this chapter…but…meh. I have no excuse. I wanted a little. And it's not gushing fluff. She's tells him the truth, but that didn't change anything really. Just his outlook at the moment.

My Halloween costume was quite simply amazing. Head over to my DeviantArt (link on the profile) to check it out! PLUS we have a fan art! It's amazing! I stumbled over it on DeviantArt- yami_shinen drew a beautiful depiction of the statue Durtain put up in Hyrule Castle Town Square. There's a link to it in my Favorites on Deviantart, so head over to check it out.

Thank you for reading, and see you next chapter! When the plot finally goes into motion…mwah ha ha!

_~The Wolfess_

p.s. thank you to the reviewer who encouraged me after the anonymous flamer's comments. Again, this story is just for my enjoyment and for the enjoyment of others. Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames and bashing are immature and inappropriate.

The delay in this chapter's completion had nothing to do with the flame and everything to do with the fact that I became suddenly unemployed. All of my spare time has gone into looking for a new job.


	30. Ambush in the Dark

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Ambush in the Dark**

In the black of pre-dawn the hoard waited under the shadowed canopy. Their rank breathing filled the fragrant pine with the smell of rotting flesh and feces. Their eyes burned red. None carried weapons or armor for it had vanished along with Ganondorf. They had their teeth, their claws, their spikes, and the hunger clawing at the pit of their stomachs. Around them and above them the Shinobi herded and whipped. If any one of the hoard made a single noise, a Shinobi was there with a poisoned dart in the animal's jugular. The animals and the fallen Sheikah waited in silence, barely moving, as dawn light trickled over the forest.

The Valley of Black Fruit lay a safe distance behind where the hoard waited. In the oncoming battle it would be safe, as Dark Link commanded. Teela rode back from the Valley with the corpse of an unfortunate Hylian Scout, who would soon be reported missing in action, slung over the back of his own horse. She rode to the front of the hoard and motioned for the closest Shinobi to come to her. The black figure dropped from the tree tops and steadied the skittish horse while Teela got off. The Shinobi matriarch turned to face the hoard.

"These will be the last words you hear before the Hylian Army arrives tonight. We will wait here all day and not move until they are within earshot. This—" Teela and the other Shinobi took the body of the Hylian soldier and hauled it above their heads for the monsters to see. Low growls rumbled through their ranks, sharp-toothed mouths salivating. They pushed against each other, clawing for the body. "Yes, this is what you will be eating tonight. You will dine on Hylian flesh until your bellies are full. However, you will taste nothing if you make a single noise this day. One squeak and my associates will cut you down where you stand."

The monsters did not show signs of understanding, but Teela knew they did. She grabbed the feet of the Hylian and the other Shinobi grabbed the Hylian's hands. They swung the body back and forth a couple times and then heaved it into the crowd, soaring over the monsters heads to land somewhere in the middle with a sickening thud.

"Call this a taste of what's to come!" Teela said above the growling of the hoard as the monsters clawed inward for a taste of meat. "IN SILENCE!" The matriarch added, signaling her dark family. Poisoned darts flew into the hoard. Some noise-makers fell dead. The others stopped, looked at their masters, and continued the feast in silence. They got the message.

!#$%^&*()

"Did you hear that, Captain Volc?" General Link said, pulling Epona to stop. The horse danced on her hooves, clearly hearing the same thing the General did.

"As usual, I do not, sir."

Link frowned, holding up his hand for silence. The army was getting used to the drill—silence was needed when there could be foes hiding around every tree and every rock. "There," Link said, pointing in the direction they were going. "Almost a day's ride ahead. I hear growling, as of a small collection of Ganondorf's minions."

"It would make sense that a few stragglers stay near the valley," Count Durtain said, sitting atop his favored black stallion on the General's other side. "If I have factored in the pace and size of our Army and am correct in my calculations, we should get to the valley by nightfall if we push hard."

Link frowned, a familiar contemplative look on his face. "Stragglers…it could be stragglers. It is probably stragglers. Captain Volc monitor our progress. The scout I sent ahead should be returning soon with his report, but I am going to ride into the forest as well. I fear that he may be in danger if there are monsters in the valley, and I want to check their numbers. I will return with a headcount."

"Yes sir," Captain Volc said.

Link put a hand on the captain's shoulder as he guided Epona near and leaned over. "Watch the Count," he whispered. "I don't trust him." Volc nodded, and Link kicked Epona's sides, riding hard into the forest.

!

Unseen by the soldiers, the captains, or by Link himself, another figure disappeared into the forest behind Link. A shadow in the treetops with red eyes that soon dropped to the earth when it was out of sight. It ran with unnatural speed, right on the General's heels. Only Durtain witnessed Dark Link's pursuit, and shook his head in distaste. This night was a night that would shake the foundations of the world and shatter them.

!

Link was going to go scout ahead, just as he said, but he had one thing to take care of first. After all, in his wolf form he could get there and back in a matter of hours and make it look like all day anyway. It wouldn't hurt to take a short detour right?

Nodding to himself, the wolf man steered Epona toward a clearing he had found when he explored the territory on his own the day before. They stopped and Link swung off, patting Epona's neck. She shook her head and nudged his shoulder. Link chuckled and stroked her long face. "It's okay, Epona," he said. "We'll still get there and back in time. I just need to send this." He reaching into one of Epona's saddlebags and pulled out a rolled parchment tied with yarn, wagging it in front of her. "I do have to reply, you know. Just in case…well, in case I never get the opportunity to reply."

He had written the letter in haste and it did not say much, but Link prayed that it said enough. It read:

!

_Zelda,_

_We're leaving on what will be the last stretch of dangerous forest before the valley, according to the Count, so I must hurry. Thank you for responding. Thank you for chancing the danger. I can walk with more confidence today, knowing that no matter what happens I fight to protect you. Live or die, you will be safe. Preferably live, of course, for when this is all over I pray that more can become of our feelings than letters and careful friendship. I love you, Princess Zelda. I love you, and I hope that in the eyes of your people I can deserve the love you have given me one day. _

_Yours Forever,_

_Link_

!

The General called the hawk and tied the message to its leg. It lifted into the air with a flurry of feathers and wind, and soon disappeared behind the dark branches. Link smiled, then stroked Epona's nose again. "I'll be back, girl," he said. "I'll call you when I'm ready. Be careful." Epona tossed her head and whickered. Link reached into his pouch and pulled the wolf stone out by the chord, tying it around his neck. He smiled and nodded at Epona one last time, then touched the stone with his forefingers. A wolf ran into the dark forest, soon fading like the hawk in the sky.

!#$%^&*()

The army moved at a faster pace than normal. The mouths of the soldiers watered to think of the abundance of black fruit that awaited their ravenous appetites, and they longed for the glory of their victorious return. They would be heroes. Saviors of Hyrule, like Count Durtain himself. It fueled them, drove them onward in a way that fear could not. They would meet with glory, either upon their return or in the afterlife that awaited them on the endless fields of Death.

The first rays of twilight flitted through the canopy like the wings of butterflies. They were almost to the valley, so said Durtain, and the men vibrated with excitement. Oddly, there was an increased amount of flies in this area of the woods, and the air felt stale and dirty as it moved in and out of their lungs. The horses were all skittish. It made some of the older men who knew the significance hold on to their weapons and shields a little tighter. It made them peer into the darkness in paranoia, imagining great beasts lurking in each shifting shadow. It made them pray to the goddesses for safe deliverance from the evil that so frightened the most intuitive among their numbers.

Twilight was thick upon them. A stench hung in the air. More of the younger men picked up on the tension their older brothers in arms felt. Volc held up his hand, but no one was making a sound. Count Durtain beckoned them onward, his cold brown eyes narrowed with impatient annoyance. He would have the deed done and over with so he could return to the comfort of his mansion and sever this distasteful alliance with the creature of darkness.

Captain Volc sighed and strained his hearing, while Durtain pulled his dark mount alongside Volc's. "I am not the General," Volc said after a few moments of silence. "I hear nothing but the wind in the trees and the nervous sounds of hundreds of Hylian men and animals awaiting my command."

The Count looked at the Marquis and shrugged. "He is a commoner, nothing more. I believe he hears less than he wants us to think. All he has are lies and charisma."

Volc shook his head. "I understand your perspective Count, my family is also old and noble, but I fought with that man in the desert. I saw him do things that no Hylian should be able to do. I believe him capable of all he claims and more."

For a moment the Count did not respond. He continued to look at Captain Volc with an unreadable expression while the Marquis stared into the forest ahead. "And yet, you distrust him," Durtain finally said. It was not a question.

"Well…yes. I do. I believe that he is dangerous. Wild. Too wild to be in the public eye, and too wild to be near the Princess." He squared his shoulders and looked Durtain in the eye. "That is not for me to say, however. I do not have Princess Zelda's wisdom, and I would rather die trusting her than live one day on my own agenda."

Durtain looked away and did not respond. After a few moments of silence, he said, "Nevertheless, General Link is not back, and the better part of the day has passed. We cannot stay where we are and wait for him. You know that. Our position is not defensible. We would be vulnerable and nervous. We need to camp in the valley, where we could mount a better defense."

Volc nodded, stroking his chin. "I agree with you. Still, the General has not returned…it does not sit well with me."

Durtain looked Volc in the eye and held his gaze. He spoke softly. "The time for inaction and indecision are over, Captain Volc. We cannot wait for Link to return. You must lead us now, for the sake of Hyrule. For the honor of the crown."

Volc nodded and sighed, then signaled the men to move on. They would enter the valley this night and feast on fruit till they passed out. Durtain bowed his head and grinned.

!#$%^&*()

There was something following him. No—it hunted him.

Link's tongue lulled out the side of his muzzle, his heart beating out of his furry chest. He ran in circles, the pads of his paws beginning to hurt. he growled at himself. He could not shake the pursuer, and his paws had become soft from lack of travel on rough ground. The wolf man had become soft.

The shadows moved. They reached out at him, pulled his fur, yanked his tail. They tripped him. They laughed at him. It was all a game…a cruel, twisted game where he was the pawn on some divine chess board and they were losing. This was not practice with Auru. This was not a challenge of strength. This was not a day training the men in the arena. There were no do-overs, no second chances. This was life and death. This was evil and good. This was the fate of the world.

He felt so alive.

So gloriously and deliciously alive. Danger clung to ever hair, death whispering with hunger in his ear, and Link was finally alive again. Here was destiny. Here was comfort. Here was his home, in the balance between heaven and hell and one step from the grave. Live or die, this was what he was created for at the dawn of time.

There were whispers in Link's mind. A dark, sinister voice laughing…ever laughing at him, chasing and teasing him, driving him in circles. Link didn't understand why he could feel it as if it were a part of him, but he could.

Another voice, one laced with gold and green, ancient as the world itself. Whispering _let me help you…let me out…let me move through you…become the hero you are in me…_I _am your destiny and your strength, Link…I and no other…_

He would not! Link cowered from the power within his soul. He cowered from the darkness clawing at his sides. He shrank back from them and howled until his throat was raw, throwing himself at base of a large tree in the middle of a clearing and covering his wet nose with his tail.

"_I just want to be myself,"_ he thought. _"Myself, living my own life. I don't want to be the Goddesses' pawn! I want to be myself!_"

Darkness closed in about him.

!#$%^&*()

They couldn't see them through the trees until it was too late. Night had fallen, and there were torches held over the axmen clearing the way. Durtain said it was just a little farther. He encouraged them when Link was not there to do the job. Said they would be heroes, written about in the history books and immortalized in song. They would be legends.

Then there was screaming and tearing and blood. The axmen were dead before one could get an ax blade in a monster's skull. How could monsters be this quiet? This organized? How could they not have known? Where was their leader? Where was the hero when they needed him?

The monsters crashed through the Hylian ranks. The soldiers were not in a defensive position. They were not ready. The horses ran away. Their riders were thrown to the ground. A few were trampled. Archers scrambled for their bows. Swordsmen hacked at anything that moved and stank, blind with fear. Captains barked orders.

Durtain slinked away, borne by the careful claws of monsters to a safe vantage from which he could watch the carnage unfold. The Count's part in this great plot was done for now. The Battle for the Valley had begun.

!#$%^&*()

It emerged from the shadows that curled around his neck like death on a cold night. It closed its dark hands and the shadows slithered back like so many coiled snakes, and it laughed long, low, and deep in its chest.

Link's eyes widened. It was him, and yet not him. It bore his likeness. It was everything he was not. It was separate from him, and yet a part of him. He felt more bound to this creature of evil with its soulless bloody eyes than he had to anything he had encountered before. Anything.

It sauntered over to Link, swinging a red-bladed Master Sword at its side, and grinned. "Missed me? You've missed me. I've missed _you_."

How did it know him? What was it? Cornered at the base of the tree, Link sunk back and bared his teeth. He growled at snapped at Dark Link, eyes glowing with hatred.

"What a wonderful family reunion, _brother_," Dark Link hissed. "It's my turn now."

**0000000000000000000**

**Author's Note**:

I know this is the shortest chapter that I have ever uploaded, but I feel that extending it much more would be overwhelming. There's a lot going on, and it's happening quickly. What this upload means is: the next chapter is the LAST CHAPTER in the HERO OF WOLVES!

This is very important to note! When it is uploaded, the first chapter of Book 2 will be online, so you can go right over there and read what happens next, as well as watch the new book so you can receive updates. **Please keep an eye out for ****Shadow Kingdom****, sequel to ****The Hero of Wolves**** right here on ff(.)net! **

Thank you for reading and for your loyalty and patience on this journey. Enjoy, and please review!

~The Wolfess

p.s. Thank you for all of your encouragement! I got a full time job at FedEx Office! Very excited!


	31. The Begining in the End

****All Standard Disclaimers Apply****

_**Book One in the Doppelganger Trilogy  
**__ !  
_The Hero of Wolves_  
by The Wolfess_

_!_

**Chapter Thirty: The Beginning in the End**

The Sheikah would tell you that darkness was not necessarily evil. Shadow was the absence of light, not an entity unto itself. Light pierced an area and drove all before it. Darkness could not do the same. It merely infiltrated where light had not ventured yet, and must flee when light comes. They were entities of shadow, serving light wherever it lived to bring definition to the world. One could not exist without the other. It was a balance.

The throne room was lit with torches in the night. A gathering of officials with propositions waited outside the archway for their turn with the acting queen, whispering about the campaign and the general and the romantic scandal they hungered for but could not prove. Sitting on her throne in the high throne room, adorned in full regal attire, Zelda reflected on the Sheikah principle. Firelight danced off of her golden armor and in the sapphire depths of her crown, casting shadows over her troubled countenance. She prayed that darkness would flee. She prayed that light would return to the hearts of her people. She prayed that her army would return safe and with few casualties. And she prayed for Link. She prayed to the goddesses for his deteriorating grip on civility, and she prayed for his safe return to her.

A hawk's cry lifted her head to the dark sky. Through the torchlight, Zelda could see it come. It dropped on the dark of her throne and held out its leg, and Zelda's heart leapt. She detached the small note, and the hawk flew away, leaving a single feather behind in her lap. As the princess unraveled the hero's letter, Ikal blended out of the shadows behind her to stand at her right hand.

The princess's eyes scanned the page and the lines of her face deepened. She handed the letter to her Sheikah guard, where it disappeared somewhere on Ikal's being. Ikal moved in front of the princess, her wine-colored hair hidden under a black head wrap. She laid a soft hand on Zelda's knee.

"I feel as if I dream when I am awake," Zelda said. Her eyes met the red tones of Ikal's, emotion swirling in their depths in contrast to the cool calculation in the Sheikah's eyes. "Something is deeply wrong in the fabric of existence, and there is nothing I can do but await its result. I cannot sit idly by while a darkness hunts Link and tears down my army. I fear what is taking place now."

"What are you orders, Princess?" Ikal asked. She could not suggest an order to her monarch, but she could prompt. Zelda frowned.

"Perhaps…" she murmured. "Ikal, as my most trusted and most beloved, will you track down my army and my general? Protect them, and when they are safe bring your report to me."

Ikal stood and bowed, and then stepped back. "It will be done," she said, and threw a deku nut on the ground. In a flash of light and sound, she was gone. Zelda sat alone to face the oncoming night. She signaled to the door guard to allow the next person in, but she hid a tear in her heart for Link.

! #$%^&*()

"What a wonderful family reunion, _brother_," Dark Link hissed. "but it's my turn now." Dark Link grinned down at the chosen hero, a wolf cowering at the base of a tree. Link shuffled to one side, but Dark Link mirrored his shuffle. He moved to the other side, but the mirror image moved as well.

"It's no use," Dark Link continued. "I know your thoughts as you think them. I, dear brother, am the discarded rag that came into being when the goddesses created you. I am the darkness they took out of your human soul. You've had your time in the light of their favor—it's my turn now. I am taking your place."

Link shoved his paw into the space between the string holding the stone and his neck, snapping it off. The green of the hero's tunic stuck out in this forest of muted colors and death. Dark Link's black tunic was more suited, blending with dead trees and the shadows of the forest, turning the shadows of night into a cloak that covered them and embraced them, holding them together like the blackness between the stars encasing the moon.

Dark Link's blade was at Link's throat before the wolf man had fully manifested. Link's eyes darted from side to side, wild in his search for a way out—a solution he had always taken for granted would be there. The wild, ancestral instincts that ran in his soul did not come to his aid. The golden glimmer in his mind did not show him where to duck. He had cowered when it offered its aid. He had cowered in the face of courage.

Link's heart swelled within him. He was courageous. He was quick. With or without the ancient spirit inside him, he was courageous. Steeling himself, Link swallowed and looked Dark Link in the pools of red that were his eyes. Suddenly, he ducked and threw his body to the side, rolling under Dark Link's blade and coming up behind the ethereal entity with sword drawn. Link was taking his shield in hand when he noticed Dark Link straightening from a crouch on the ground. The black man turned around, holding a curious black, orange-marked stone on a string collar between them.

"I assume you want this?" the entity hissed, grinning. Link's eyes widened and his breath caught. How could he have forgotten to grab it before he spun away? Dark Link flipped it in the air and with one swift flick of his wrists, he tucked it into the pouch on his own belt that mirrored Link's. He then leaned back again the tree nearest him and pretended to examine his sword, turning it in front of his eyes.

Link almost howled. He lunged for Dark Link, swinging his green-hilted sword horizontally. It hit Dark Link's blade to the side, but the dark shield was there on the back swing, preventing Link's follow up blow. Link crouched and began to prowl, teeth gritted and bared as he circled. Dark Link seemed disinterested, writing in the dirt with the toe of his boot.

Link charged again, this time coming from the side with a jab. Dark Link bat the jab aside with his red blade and stepped forward. He grinned and held out his hands to the side, as if inviting the hero to pierce him. Link jumped forward, his sword leading, and their blades met with the resounding clash of fate and free will at war.

Link pressed, and Dark Link pressed back. They struggled and twisted, sprang apart and clashed again. The hero and his shadow were perfectly matched, one always anticipating the other's moves before he did them. It was an odd dance, attacking and parrying and twirling and dodging and twisting. Link spun and Dark Link jumped over it. Link slashed and Dark Link ducked. The infuriating dark hero never made his own attack—he merely dodged and spun and leapt away from all of Link's.

Link reached inside himself for a warmth, an instinct, a greatness that had always lent him the leading edge in battle, but it was not there. His swipes felt clumsy, his swings slow. His mind felt empty of everything but himself. There was no golden voice leading him. No hero's spirit to tell him what to do. He felt like half of himself. He felt like a coward.

The darkness of the forest crept in around the combatants. Step by step, Dark Link led his light counterpart deeper into the forest by holding the wolf stone out for Link to see. His laughter filled Link's mind, and all the wolf man noticed was the glowing stone dangling from Dark Link's black fingers.

Out of the corner of Link's eye, he caught a movement. He flipped backward, and spun to the side, keeping his shadow in vision while looking for what he glimpsed. Seeing nothing he turned back to the fight, to the laughing face of Dark Link, only to see movement again on his right. Link swung his shield arm out and looked again. "I swear…" he murmured.

"Seeing things are we?" Dark Link said, his voice sickly sweet. "Tired yet? I do only want to talk."

Link grit his teeth and glared at Dark Link from behind the sweaty bangs hanging over his eyes. His chest heaved and the sword and shield felt heavy. "Never," he growled, but the very air seemed to grab his shoulders and pull him toward the ground. Dark tendrils crept from the spaces between the branches, falling down like snakes and wrapping around Link's arms. They slid down his forearms and around his hands, covering the familiar light from the dim Triforce on his left hand and snaking around each of his fingers.

"Come now, relax. I only want to talk to you." The twin pools of red glinted like the red of the fake master sword in Dark Link's hand. The shadows twisting around the wolf man whispered and soothed. Link's eyelids drooped. Before he realized it, his fingers were loosening their grip on the weapons.

And then it moved again. This time it was behind Dark Link, it's fangs wide and dripping with venom. Its black head reared into the trees, red eyes beady and hungry. Link seized his weapons and shook the darkness off, charging at it. Its huge leathery wings beat at him, sending him flying backward with the force of the wind they caused. Link cringed as he landed on a root between his shoulder blades. The black beast had a long, snake-like body with large bat wings and two muscled legs with three claws on each foot. It charged at Link, who scrambled to his feet, tightened his grip on his sword, and ran in the other direction.

!

Link's mind was in panic as he tried to think of what it was, where it came from, and how to beat it. Once again, as in the battle before, there was no voice to answer back or prompt him. The hero's spirit had forsaken him for his cowardice.

All Link could hear was the sound of Dark Link's laughter all around him. He spun around, looking for the scaly beast, only to realize it was not there. Link's brow wrinkled in confusion, his fist tightening around the green hilt.

There was a black lump of hair and fabric on the ground, an oddly feminine form lying a couple yards away. It was silent in the trees, save for the labored breathing of the mysterious form. Link sheathed his sword and shield and ran to it, dropping to his knees by its side.

Long reddish auburn hair covered the face of what he now realized was a woman. Link's heartbeat quickened as he wiped the hair away from the face. It was Zelda. Her lifeless eyes accused him, her bloodied, bruised face swollen and beaten. Link's eyes welled with tears, his shoulders crumpling. "No…" he said, taking her in his arms and holding her to his breast. "No, Zelda…it can't be…"

As the hero began to cry Zelda's body melted away in his arms, evanescing into smoke and vapor. His eyes shot open, face and body rigid with shock, tears drying on his cheeks. What was happening?

Dark Link's laughter filled Link's mind. Mocking his pain. Mocking his emotional attachment. Mocking.

Link rose to his feet and drew his sword again. He spun around, looking for the dark one, but saw nothing. "COME OUT!" he yelled, his body trembling with rage. "COME OUT YOU COWARD!"

There, to the right. Link spun and Dark Link beckoned him. Link ran with sword leading, crashing into the clearing where they began their dual. In the middle Dark Link waited for him, mocking grin always in place, soulless red eyes always churning and watching everything.

The embodiment of darkness raised his hands, sword and shield held to the sky. Piece by piece armor appeared on his body, from the outer limbs inward. The last piece to fall into place was the groin plate. Dark Link's red eyes glinted out of the black helmet of a colossal Dark Knut, bigger than any Link had seen before. It seemed to swell as Link watched, growing ever larger. There was clanking and stomping in the woods. Link backed away from the large Dark Knut in the middle, his eyes scanning the forests around them. What was coming now? What was he to face on this most hellish of nights?

The first wave of minor Dark Knuts stopped on the edge of the trees. Link counted them—eight in all. And then there were twelve, sixteen, twenty, twenty three. They kept coming, until the sounds of rustling armor of rancid panting inside a thousand helmets surrounded the hero.

Link was outnumbered. Link was overwhelmed. He held his sword out in front of him, holding it with both hands as he turned in a circle. As one the Dark Knuts raised their swords. As one they stepped forward. Alone and outnumbered, Link tried to charge up a spinning sword attack, but the power would not come. When he spun all he would do was clank against armor and die. Link closed his eyes as he unleashed his final attack—

And they were gone, smoke and darkness rising in the night air. Link was breathing hard, his heart racing with adrenaline, hate, and fear. Fear had crept into his mind. It infiltrated his soul. For the first time in his life, perhaps in all of his lives, the bearer of courage knew the true, horrible meaning of fear.

The laughter Link heard now was not only Dark Link's. It was Ganondorf's laughter. It was Zant's laughter. It was Midna's and Ilia's and Auru's laughter. It was Durtain's laughter. It was Zelda's laughter ringing in the air all around him at the same time.

The smoke and darkness cleared, and amid the laughter Link could hear the creaking sound of taunt rope swaying in the wind. Something wet and hot dropped on the back of Link's hand. He raised the Triforce mark and frowned at the red blotch in the middle. What trick did this twisted entity of darkness have for him now?

The blood drained from Link's face as he looked upwards. He sank to his knees, sword and shield falling from limp fingers. The Ordonian children swayed from ropes tied around high tree limbs. Their bodies were rotting and bloody, necks broken, dead for days. Ilia was there too, and Telma, and Ikal.

In the middle of all the rotting corpses hanging in the trees was one covered in a black funeral robe. Link crawled to it, shaking as he tried to avoid touching the others. He recognized the boots sticking out from under the hem of the robe. Royal shoes, tailor made for the princess herself. He touched the toe of one boot and slowly turned the body around. The sound that issued from the hero's mouth made the very birds take flight.

! #$%^&*()

Ikal heard the battle long before she saw the carnage. She ran faster, dodging limbs and roots, eyes seeing forms in the darkness that the hero himself with his enhanced wolfish sight would not have seen. Her red Sheikah eyes pierced the angry night as she leapt into the air and surveyed the carnage from above. The woods were a slaughter house. Every Hyrulian battling below her perch was outnumbered and frantic. She could see the whites of their eyes, like frightened animals facing the hunter's bow. Fang and claw, blood and vomit, sword and ax and bow and lance—this was the dance of death and war. This was the slaughterhouse of darkness, and in darkness they waged their final stand.

The remaining Hylian troops fought while trampling on the bodies of their fallen comrades. The grass had turned to mud that ran red with rivers of blood. A rotten stink rose over the battle. There was no end or victory to be seen. Ikal knew her place, and it was not to interfere. She was the guard of the princess, not to risk her life in battles that were already lost. The Shiekah swallowed a lump in her throat, her heart seizing up within her breast, and turned her focus to scanning the bodies on the ground and the fighters on the field for her charge.

She did not see Link, but nor could she see the faces of the bodies. Ikal scanned the crowd for the General's right hand man, Captain Volc, and found him in the middle of the battle. He was fighting with sword and shield, an enemy on each side, back to back with a soldier whose arm was dangling limp at one side, a long dagger in the other.

The Sheikah took only a moment to figure out how to reach him. She took out her twin daggers and dropped down to the ground, landing behind a large lizardman. She jumped over his tail and sliced him in the ribs as she passed by, giving the soldier it was trying to kill the opportunity to shove his sword through its skull. She maneuvered through the battle this way, slicing and stabbing what she could as she snaked through the dying men.

When she got to where Volc was, Ikal leapt up like an eagle and descended on two of the beasts near the captain. She landed with one foot on each of them. Her daggers sunk into the skulls of the beasts with the force of her body weight and decent, causing them to screech and sink where they stood. Captain Volc had enough time to gape at the sight and cast an acknowledging glance at Ikal before turning to fight the stalfols that took their places. Ikal moved in to stand on his vulnerable side, the side near the wounded soldier's broken arm.

"WHERE IS LINK?!" she shouted above the din of battle. Volc let out a roar as he cut off the head of one of the stalfos, and ducked the swipe of the other.

"HE HAS ABANDONDED US!" shouted Captain Volc. "HE IS NOT HERE!"

Ikal did not respond. She pulled out a small explosive and tossed it in the mouth of the stalfos Volc was fighting, and then the Sheikah ducked out. She heard the explosion and looked back to see that Volc was unhurt, before leaping into a nearby tree and making her way away from the battle.

As she landed on the ground a safe distance from where the Hylian troops lay dying, Ikal saw the red-rimmed violet eyes and silver hair of her exiled comrades through the trees. She frowned and followed the figure with her eyes as only another Shiekah could. What business did the dead Sheikah have here? What evil role did they play in this dark scheme? Following an instinct, Ikal leapt into the trees and followed.

! #$%^&*()

The wolf hero was on his knees, shaking with a fear and helplessness unknown to one such as him. The illusions were unrelenting, Dark Link's power weaving Link's worst nightmares around him. Link could smell the bodies as they rotted. He tried to cut down the ropes, but he could not. It was as if his blade was dull, corroding before his very eyes. A part of Link's mind knew that these things were not real, that somehow Dark Link was weaving these lies into being, but the hero could not stop himself from mourning as the bodies rotted before his eyes and these foreign feelings overtook his heart.

Unbeknownst to the mourning hero, Dark Link walked out from behind a tree where he had been hiding, unable to dematerialize like he could before he had a real body. The wolf stone hung from its chord, glowing and pulsing with evil orange light as it twirled. Dark Link closed his eyes and began chanting silently, weaving his free hand around the stone in a purposeful manner. Black smoke began to form around the stone, stretching and solidifying with each pass of Dark Link's hand. Finally, Dark Link grabbed one side of the material forming, then grabbed the other side with the hand that had been holding the chord. He grit his teeth and pulled outward, stretching it around into a circular band. The darkness solidified, appearing like a collar made of black metal, or shining black stone.

The wolf stone pulsed in the front of the collar, a circular portion of it visible from within. Dark Link grinned, turning his focus to his light counterpart's back, bowed over and oblivious. The entity of evil crept up behind Link, as stealthy and silent as the mist creeping through the barren forest night.

Barely two feet from Link, Dark Link held the collar firmly in both hands and crouched. He sprung forward with a shout, red eyes glaring in the night. Link gasped and spun, falling on his behind as he did so, but he did not roll out of the way in time. The collar fell over his head and rested on his shoulders, and Dark Link sprang back, drawing his sword and shield.

Link grabbed the collar and tugged, but it would not budge. He felt the darkness seeping through his body. The wolf stone's power felt magnified somehow, overtaking his being at the touch of the collar to his bare skin. Despite having not touched the stone itself, Link was thrust through the painful transformation, and his howl rang through the night air.

Dark Link laughed at the wolf that spun around in confusion, the metallic collar tight around its neck. Link's sword and shield had also disappeared, locked with the human inside of the wolf's fur coat. The illusions disappeared, leaving a growling, dangerous wolf prowling circles around Dark Link.

"Come on, now, you look better this way." Dark Link laughed. Link lunged at him teeth snapping and body thrashing, but the shadow was too quick. Dark Link leapt out of the way and smashed the side of Link's head with his shield, sending the wolf crashing to the forest floor. Link shook his head, trying to clear it, but his vision blurred and he saw double. He took a couple stumbling steps forward and sank to his belly, panting and shaking his head. Dark Link walked around him, sadistic grin unwavering. "Yes, this worked nicely. It will be easy to take your place in the world."

Link squinted his eyes at Dark Link, trying to comprehend what the dark self was implying. Dark Link, again, seemed to read his thoughts. "It will be quite easy, dear brother, and it begins tonight. You see, Link, your army is being slaughtered right now by my beasts, and you are not there to save it. I have been practicing illusions since the beginning of time, since the goddesses created you, and I—the bastard son of the golden ones—was born as a result. Since the beginning of time they have favored you, and now it is my turn to shine. See?" Grinning, a mad glint in his eyes, Dark Link spun on his toes, and a flurry of dark smoke swirled around him. When it dissipated, standing before Link was the spitting image of himself. His eyes stared back at him, his blond hair and light skin, even his green sword and green tunic. "I am you now. Do you like it?"

Link growled, his vision beginning right itself, even though his head still throbbed. Dark Link laughed, turning around to show off every inch of his disguise. "I think I like black better though, so this disgusting green will have to go." He clapped his hands together once, and the green seemed to melt off of him, leaving behind a black tunic and black-hilted sword. "Now I'll just ride in and save the day with a secret hoard of Bokoblin reinforcements I had my Shinobi gather, then return the victorious hero to claim my royal prize."

The insane grin spread, Dark Link's clear blue eyes glinting with evil intent. Link sprung at the shadow man, snapping his teeth around Dark Link's thigh. Dark Link shook him off and tried to smash Link's head with his shield again. The wolf sprung backward just in time, but he didn't see the sword that followed right after that shield. He could not move in time. The red master sword sunk into Link's side, Dark Link's grin never wavering. Link's eyes widened, feeling the blood pump hot and fast from his side as Dark Link removed his sword. The wolf sunk to the ground, his vision blurring. He felt light headed. Hot blood caked his fur, sinking into the dead earth beneath his paws.

Dark Link sheathed his weapon. He bent down and patted Link on the head, ruffling the fur around his ears, then waved over his shoulder as he disappeared into the trees, his insane laughter echoing behind him.

! #$%^&*()

The feeling of evil in the woods around her was so pervasive that the hair on the back of Ikal's neck stood up. She had been following a black and silver blur, but lost sight of the Shinobi through the trees. As she continued forward and searched for her lost guide, a wolf's howl rung through the treetops. Alarmed, she followed the sounds of battle to the clearing where Link's body lay bleeding into the ground. The red eyed Sheikah leapt to Link's side and whipped out a small vial of red potion and bandages from her pouch.

"What has happened to you?" she asked, looking into Link's dull canine eyes. She poured some of the potion onto his wound, and then tilted his head up to pour some into his mouth. Her calloused warrior's fingers gripped his lupine chin and forced his mouth open, then poured the red liquid down his throat. Link swallowed and hacked, his body shaking.

The blood flow slowed and the flesh already began to heal itself. Ikal set Link's head down and did her best to bind his wound with the bandages. Link managed to help her by sitting up enough for her to get the bandages around his thick furry torso.

When Link's eyes began to clear, he shook his head and looked around, eyes finally settling on Ikal. The Sheikah wasn't looking at him, however, as her eyes settled on the collar around his neck. "What manner of contraption is this?" she asked in a dark voice. "It is darkness and evil, more so than the power that turns you into this beast to begin with." She stood up, rubbing her chin and glaring at the collar. "I dare not touch it to remove it, Link. As a creature of shadow, it may have adverse effects on me. We should see the princess—she will know what to do. She is the Princess of Light."

Link stood up, shaky but able. Though he knew the army needed his help more, there was nothing he could do for them as a wolf. He would go to Zelda and get this cursed collar removed, then face the evil doppelganger as his true self. Next time he would be stronger. Next time he would be worthy of the title of hero once bestowed on him. Next time he would drive his sword through Dark Link's evil heart and watch him bleed out on the battleground, one bloody cough at a time. One way or another.

! #$%^&*()

In the dead of night the Hyrulian Army had given up hope. Their leader abandoned them, and they lost more than they killed. They were losing the strength to continue fighting.

It was then that he rode over the hill. Atop his horse, her white made flying, Dark link rode into the battle with his sword drawn over his head. Behind him came a swarm of Bokoblins—the dark purple, less organized cousins of the Bulbins with their white dreadlocks and flat faces. Where did General Link come from, and why were these beasts following him? As Dark Link and the Bokoblin reinforcements began tearing through the hoard, the tide of the battle seemed to immediately turn. The soldiers of Hyrule forgot their misgivings, writing the beasts off to Link's strange beast-like magnetism and relating it to their treaty with the Bulbins. No matter what the cause, the creatures were fighting on their side and that was all that was important.

Bloody and tired, one of the last standing amid a circle of Hylian bodies including his one-armed partner, Captain Volc fought with a sword in one hand and a long dagger in the other. He was a whirlwind of blades and desperation, fury fueling him to live. He saw Link ride into the battle. Saw the beasts following him. Saw and marveled at the ferocity with which the duke fought. Perhaps, thought Volc, the men of Hyrule who remained would live for one more night. Thanks be to their fearless leader, who must have seen what they would face with his strange instincts and went to save them all. Goddesses be praised for their golden son…

As the valiant captain took pause to recognize Dark Link's glorious return, a lizardfol finished off its current meal. Hylian blood and meat dripping from its maw, it lunged with its powerful legs and landed on Volc's back. The marquis screamed, his eyes full of terror, his ginger hair matted with mud and gore. The teeth of the monster sunk into Volc's shoulder. Volc lost his grip on his sword and dagger. His shriek was muffled in the mud.

! #$%^&*()

Dawn broke in the eastern sky. The birds sung and orange, red, and yellow lights danced on white marble towers of Hyrule Castle. Link limped along, but he got stronger with each mile as the red potion did its work. Twilight was a bitter hour passed in silence. Not that Link could talk to Ikal in the first place, and she was not the talking type. Instead they traveled in stealth, and Link thought about the dark self and what it was must be doing now. Impersonating him in front of his troops. Perhaps killing them for all Link knew. What was it babbling about before—something involving the beginning of time, the creation of his soul, the goddesses. It kept calling him "brother". How could he be related to such an evil creature? Link was not without fault—his current form was proof of that. There was evil in all of them.

Ikal brought him out of his reverie by placing her hand in the fur of his neck. She scratched, which Link reluctantly allowed because it felt good to be touched and to feel fresh air on his skin under the thick coat. Without speaking, she pointed his attention to a small passage hidden by a bush. Link nodded his lupine head and watched her advance to the space between where they crouched and the passage. She looked around for guards and looked back to Link, who wagged his tail to signal that he didn't hear any guards nearby. Ikal darted across the grassy space, disappearing into the passageway with barely a rustle in the bush. Link followed, able to slip by equally silent due to his wolfish body's stealth.

The passage was familiar to Link once he was in it. It led to the Princess's bedroom, and was the same passage way she had taken that night so long ago when they first met in the garden under the eyes of moonlight. His heart smiled to think of those happy, if not simple, days. The duo wound in darkness through the tight stone passages, until they came to the seeming dead end. Ikal listened at the hidden door, then pushed it open and signaled for Link to follow.

"Mmm…" moaned the princess, turning toward the sound in half sleep. "Whoz it?" Ikal slid over to Zelda's bedside, brushing her hand over Zelda's tangled auburn hair. Zelda's eyes blinked open, then closed again. "Not yet…was up late last night with meetings…" Zelda groaned.

Ikal smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Come now, sleepy princess. Wake up. You are needed by a wolf in peril."

Zelda's eyes opened again, this time more awake and frowning. "What's he doing here?" she asked, looking past Ikal. Link tucked his tail between his legs and flattened his ears to his skull, moving to where Zelda could see him.

"Link!" she shouted in alarm, awake and sitting up in bed. "What is that around your neck? What has happened to you?!" she said, getting out of bed and falling to her knees by Link's side. Ikal stood up and watched silently. Link couldn't respond, but he raised his head so Zelda could see the wolf stone in the front of the collar, pulsing its ominous light.

"It radiates a dark energy," Ikal said. "Evil energy. I thought you might know how to remove it, since I dare not touch."

Zelda frowned at the collar, her sapphire eyes dark with concern. "Perhaps I can pry it off. Being one of the chosen, its dark power shouldn't affect me…hopefully."

"I'm not so sure, Zel," Ikal said, stepping toward the princess and placing a hand on her nightgown-clad shoulder.

"Please Ika," Zelda said, covering the Sheikah girl's hand with hers. "Trust me." Ikal nodded and took her hand off Zelda's shoulder. The princess took a deep breath and stroked Link's head, meeting his feral gaze, before reaching with both hands and grabbing the back of Link's collar.

Zelda's scream came just before black smoke rolled off of the collar and crawled up her arms. Ikal screamed as well, reaching for the princess as the smoke consumed Zelda's body in hopes of preventing its spread. Zelda's bones snapped and constricted, muscles shifting and forming. Reddish auburn fur spread from her head down her whole body and faded to a light reddish brown, her underbelly and paws a creamy white. Under her bright blue eyes were three grayblack triangles, and on her forehead was the eye of the Sheikah, its tear tracing a line between her eyes.

Ikal lunged forward before she had time to think. She grabbed Zelda's collar, screaming out her name. That scream became one of pain as the transformation took her as well.

Link backed against the wall. He gaped at the red wolf and the pure black wolf with silver head markings similar to Zelda's standing in the room where Ikal and Zelda once stood. Black metal collars without the stone wound around both of their necks, thin glowing orange lines tracing patterns along the circle.

"What…" he said in his wolfish way, stepping toward Zelda. "How…?"

Zelda shook her head, clearly in a panic as her whole body trembled and her tail stuck between her legs. "I don't know," she said. 'I didn't think…how is this possible?"

Ikal began pacing, the morning light reflecting off of glints of deep red in her mane. "We have to figure something out," she said. "We can't stay here. The maids will be coming soon."

Link nodded and ran toward the passage, turning back to them. "I know where to go. Renado, the Shaman, will help anyone in need. Follow me." Ikal and Zelda did as they were told, and the trio of wolves escaped into the passage and out of the castle.

! #$%^&*()

The day after the battle, tired and bloody, an army of Hyrulians and Bokoblins alike followed their leader into the Valley of Black Fruit. Count Durtain rode at Dark Link's right hand. Victorious yet exhausted, they entered the valley in victory and glory, singing praises to the goddesses for their protection and for their golden son, the great general and hero from Ordon. Dark Link laughed. He carried a Lizardfol head on the tip of his sword for a trophy, its blood dripping on the green tunic he wore.

There was a river that ran through the valley. It had black wheat, black grape vines, black cotton, black flour, black corn and watermelon and broccoli and potatoes and carrots. The men sang a victory song and sunk their teeth into the most potent black fruit they had ever tasted. Its juices ran down their chins and stained their bloody uniforms. Storm clouds gathered in the sky, thunder rumbling like waves on the shore, and a trio of wolves howled in the distance. Dark Link wiped blood off of his face and kept laughing.

**0000000000000000000**

**Author's Note**:

The Hero of Wolves is over, and Shadow Kingdom has begun! I have so many things that I would like to say as this first book comes to an end, and so many people I would like to thank.

First, I want to thank Celeborn00 for the great discussions and advice we have shared while reading each other's stories. He has been judge, inspiration, and co-conspirator. I hope that he never gives up on Forgotten Demons, for I eagerly await its completion.

I would also like to thank Vopi for being an amazing editor. I'm not always consistent in getting the chapters to him, and his patience and advice has been invaluable. When I finish editing HoW I will leave an author's note at the end of a Shadow Kingdom chapter saying so.

Some other people I would like to thank include Steben, my greatest and most helpful critic; Persephone Oswald Oleesen, whose reviews I look forward to in the future; and RaskVann, whose ideas and reviews were invaluable in this story and whose conversations I sorely miss.

Last but not least I would like to thank Chris Robbins. I did not expect to make friend through writing this story, but that seems to be what happened with him. Fellow author and friend, I want to thank him for faithfully sticking with me all these years and encouraging me to not give up.

I'm sorry if I forgot anyone, but I hope you know who you are. A special thanks to all of you who read and review, especially those who have been with me since the beginning. There have been flames and burns, celebrations and joy. We have had discussions and we have had disagreements. I hope that all of you continue to read my story as we move to Shadow Kingdom, and that this new book with excite and surprise you as much as Hero of Wolves did.

Before I end, I would like to refer you my profile, where you will find links to several methods by which you can contact me. I thought that as we head into a new story, it was about time that I make myself available to anyone who would like to get to know me. There are four different methods: an email just for you, a blog where you can leave comments and get updates on the chapters, instant messaging through which we can have conversations, and my deviantart page, as always.

Please look for the special surprise waiting for you on the blog, titled "Hero of Wolves Surprise". I think you will enjoy it!

Thank you again, and please head to Shadow Kingdom for the next chapter in the Doppelganger Trilogy.

~The Wolfess


End file.
